Abstract:
An authentication protocol using a Hardware-Embedded Delay PUF ("HELP"), which derives randomness from within-die path delay variations that occur along the paths within a hardware implementation of a cryptographic primitive, for example, the Advanced Encryption Standard ("AES") algorithm or Secure Hash Algorithm 3 ("SHA-3"). The digitized timing values which represent the path delays are stored in a database on a secure server (verifier) as an alternative to storing PUF response bitstrings thereby enabling the development of an efficient authentication protocol that provides both privacy and mutual authentication.
Abstract:
The Distribution Effect is proposed for the HELP PUF that is based on purposely introducing biases in the mean and range parameters of path delay distributions to enhance entropy. The biased distributions are then used in the bitstring construction process to introduce differences in the bit values associated with path delays that would normally remain fixed. Offsets are computed to fine tune a token's digitized path delays as a means of maximizing entropy and reproducibility in the generated bitstrings: a first population-based offset method computes median values using data from multiple tokens (i.e., the population) and a second chip-specific technique is proposed which fine tunes path delays using enrollment data from the authenticating token.
Abstract:
An authentication protocol using a Hardware-Embedded Delay PUF ("HELP"), which derives randomness from within-die path delay variations that occur along the paths within a hardware implementation of a cryptographic primitive, for example, the Advanced Encryption Standard ("AES") algorithm or Secure Hash Algorithm 3 ("SHA-3"). The digitized timing values which represent the path delays are stored in a database on a secure server (verifier) as an alternative to storing PUF response bitstrings thereby enabling the development of an efficient authentication protocol that provides both privacy and mutual authentication.