A laboratory testing protocol examining how accredited evaluation facilities perform TVLA and CPA attacks on next-generation PQC smartcards.
Smartcards and secure elements (found in e-passports, banking credit cards, and SIMs) operate directly in the physical hands of potential adversaries. Attackers can connect high-precision current probes, EM near-field probes, and temperature controllers without time constraints, necessitating the most rigorous defense-in-depth engineering.
We walk through the statistical mechanics of capturing and processing tens of millions of high-bandwidth power traces. We analyze signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement, trace alignment using dynamic time warping, and the empirical effectiveness of higher-order masking in suppressing correlation peaks below the noise floor.
Requirements for passing international evaluation criteria (Common Criteria EAL6+ and EMVCo Security Guidelines) for post-quantum cryptographic chips, including formal vulnerability scoring and independent penetration testing.