Systems and methods for measuring side-channel signals for instruction-level events

A method for identifying side-channel carrier frequencies, the method comprising:

• for each of a plurality of alternation frequencies:
• executing, at a first processor, different first and second instructions in a plurality of repeated alternations, wherein each alternation comprises executing, over a predetermined time period corresponding to a respective alternation frequency, the first instruction a first predetermined number of times followed by executing the second instruction a second predetermined number of times;
• measuring, via a measuring apparatus, spectra of one or more signals emanating from a device housing the first processor, the one or more signals emanating substantially contemporaneously with the first processor executing the first and second instructions;
• analyzing, by a second processor, the spectra of the one or more signals to determine one or more side-channel candidate side-band pairs, each of the one or more side-channel candidate side-band pairs comprising a lower sideband at a first frequency and an upper sideband at a second frequency, the first frequency and the second frequency being separated by approximately twice the respective alternation frequency;
• and
• for each respective side-channel candidate side-band pair, identifying a candidate side-channel carrier frequency at a frequency being at an approximate midpoint between a respective side-channel candidate side-band pair's first and second frequency to provide a set of candidate carrier frequencies corresponding to the respective alternation frequency;
• and
• comparing each set of candidate side-channel carrier frequencies to other sets of candidate side-channel carrier frequencies to identify one or more carrier frequencies, wherein identifying one or more side-channel carrier frequencies comprises identifying candidate side-channel carrier frequencies occurring in a plurality of sets of candidate side-channel carrier frequencies.

A method for identifying side-channel carrier frequencies, the method comprising:

• executing, at a first processor, different first and second instructions in a plurality of repeated alternations, wherein each alternation comprises executing, over a predetermined time period corresponding to an alternation frequency, the first instruction a first predetermined number of times followed by executing the second instruction a second predetermined number of times;
• receiving, at a second processor and from a measuring apparatus, information indicative of spectra of one or more signals emanating from a device housing the first processor, the one or more signals emanating substantially contemporaneously with the first processor executing the first and second instructions;
• analyzing, by a second processor, the information indicative of the spectra of the one or more signals to determine one or more side-channel candidate side-band pairs, each of the one or more side-channel candidate side-band pairs comprising a lower sideband at a first frequency and an upper sideband at a second frequency, the first frequency and the second frequency being separated by approximately twice the respective alternation frequency;
• and
• for each respective side-channel candidate side-band pair, identifying a side-channel carrier frequency at a frequency being at an approximate midpoint between a respective side-channel candidate side-band pair's first and second frequency.