Securing ultra-low-power devices

by Rambus Blog, Aug. 12, 2015 – 

Ernest Worthman of Semiconductor Engineering recently noted that future ultra-low-power (ULP) IoT devices require a new paradigm for handling cryptography.

"To optimize the power in a ULP device, cryptography and otherwise, there are two approaches that can be uses; steady-state low-power over time and pulsed operation over time," he explained. "[However], the main issue surrounding cryptography in ULP devices is the relationship between functionality and power utilization."

As Worthman points out, traditional cryptographic algorithms are power- and clock-cycle hungry. Essentially, they are the exact opposite of the IoE devices: computationally intensive.

"That is their job - to check everything that can be compromised and that takes power," he continued. "ULP devices, being computationally constrained, need to make every clock cycle and micro amp count. The two are not mutually compatible."

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