Secure data processing unit, and an associated method
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorChristian May
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A secure data processing unit has a data/program instruction memory for storing data/program instructions, an instruction line with a large number of function stages for processing the data/program instructions, and a control unit for controlling the function stages. A blank function generator in this case randomly produces blank functions in the data processing unit, thus making an eavesdropping attack by analysis of leakage information considerably more difficult or preventing it.
Claims22
A secure data processing unit, comprising:
- a data/program instruction memory for storing data/program instructions;
- at least one instruction line having a large number of function stages for processing the data/program instructions and connected to said data/program instruction memory;
- a control unit connected to said instruction line for controlling said large number of function stages;
- and
- a blank function generator for producing blank functions, including blank write processes and other blank processes, and connected to at least one of said control unit, said instruction line and said data/program instruction memory, said blank function generator compensating for said blank write processes only.
A method for protecting a data processing unit against external eavesdropping attacks, which comprises the steps of:
- producing blank functions in the data processing unit, including blank write processes and other blank processes;
- executing the blank functions in the data processing unit;
- and
- compensating only for blank functions that are blank write processes.
A secure data processing unit, comprising:
- a data/program instruction memory for storing data/program instructions;
- at least one instruction line having a large number of function stages for processing the data/program instructions and connected to said data/program instruction memory;
- a control unit connected to said instruction line for controlling said large number of function stages;
- a blank function generator for producing blank functions, including blank write processes and other blank processes, said blank function generator being connected to at least one of said control unit, said instruction line and said data/program instruction memory, said blank function generator operating selectively to compensate for said blank write processes only;
- and
- said blank function generator compensating for said blank write processes by at least one of:
- (1) rejecting the blank data and program instructions immediately before being written to a register or memory;
- and
- (2) writing the blank data or program instructions to an unusable memory location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.