Side-Channel Security: Developing a Side-Channel Mindset

Highlights

Side channels have become increasingly important over the past two decades in our digital world. With attacks like Meltdown and Spectre, which internally use side channels, they have gained world-wide relevance, as most computers on the planet are affected, and also the corresponding publicity. But why are side channels relevant to me? Because they are relevant to everyone!

This course is not just a list of side-channel effects and how to exploit them. We provide you with the experience of learning about side channels, in a group of students, living in a shared appartment. Together with them you will figure out that what side channels are, why they are relevant for security, how they can inadvertantly influence us or leak our own most personal secrets to others.

In this first season, we will cover the basics, without requiring any technical skills. The security or side-channel mindset we teach is still highly valuable, as it allows to assess risks both in the real world and in technical contexts. In a set of small exercises, you will demonstrate that you understood the basics, and acquired the way of thinking needed to find and exploit side channels.

A set of small exercises for this course will be solved online with no need to download anything.