Master Thesis on Software Countermeasures against Side-Channel Analysis for PQC

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) schemes are cryptographic algorithms that are designed to be resistant against attacks by quantum computers. Since current standards like RSA or ECC are not resistant against such attacks, the analysis of post-quantum alternatives is an important field of research.

A crucial aspect of a PQC algorithm is its protection against Side-Channel Analysis (SCA). SCA exploits the dependencies between sensitive intermediate values of the algorithm and physical side-channels (e.g. power consumption) of the executing device. While well-known methods, like correlation power analysis (CPA) or template-based differential power analysis (DPA), require many measurements from the targeted device, more recent methods like soft analytical SCA (SASCA) require a single trace only. Possible software countermeasures are, for instance, randomization of intermediate values or shuffling of executed instructions.

We are looking for motivated students who are interested in a challenging thesis in the field of SCA for PQC. The work will focus on the implementation and evaluation of SW countermeasures.

What you will do

• Implementation of known SW countermeasures on micro-controllers.

• Evaluation with methods like TVLA.

• Development and evaluation of improved countermeasures.

What you bring to the table

• You are studying Computer Science, Mathematics or a comparable subject.

• You have experience with side-channel analysis.

• You have strong implementation skills with Arm Cortex-M4 micro-controllers (C and Assembly).

What you can expect

• Professional supervision and collaboration in a dedicated team

• Ideal conditions for practical experience alongside your studies

We value and promote the diversity of our employees' skills and therefore welcome all applications - regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, ideology, disability, sexual orientation and identity. Severely disabled persons are given preference in the event of equal suitability. 

With its focus on developing key technologies that are vital for the future and enabling the commercial utilization of this work by business and industry, Fraunhofer plays a central role in the innovation process. As a pioneer and catalyst for groundbreaking developments and scientific excellence, Fraunhofer helps shape society now and in the future. 

Interested? Apply online now. We look forward to getting to know you!

Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT

Requisition Number: 73485                Application Deadline: