SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Atmel Corp. and Cryptography Research Inc. (CRI) have formed an agreement regarding the use of CRI's patents to enhance the security of Atmel's tamper-resistant chips against so-called differential power analysis (DPA) and related attacks.
The license also covers software executing on Atmel chips, allowing Atmel's customers to develop their own security countermeasures without a separate license from Cryptography Research.
DPA is a form of attack that involves monitoring the fluctuating electrical power consumption of a target device and then using advanced statistical methods to derive cryptographic keys and other secrets.
CRI develops and licenses technology to solve complex security problems.