Side-Channel Security: Developing a Side-Channel Mindset from edX

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.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Skills that are right now in high demand in industry and academia:

- spot side-channel leakage in real world scenarios- gain a high-level overview of the history of side channels- see concrete examples of different side channels being found and exploited- connect these security risks with methods to mitigate and close side channels

Skills that are right now in high demand in industry and academia:
- spot side-channel leakage in real world scenarios- gain a high-level overview of the history of side channels- see concrete examples of different side channels being found and exploited- connect these security risks with methods to mitigate and close side channels

Syllabus

You will learn together with the protagonists of our show:

- Episode 1: Side Channels are Everywhere

In this episode, the flat mates learn basic definitions and look out for side channels in the real world. Interestingly, we have all been using them already.

- Episode 2: The Door

Daniel and Jonas find a secret door in a dark university cellar. They try various side channels to open the door but in the end find a shocking revelation. You will get to know several side channel techniques.

- Episode 3: The Criminal Mind

Daniel challenges the other flat mates to figure out how to win the card game "The Mind". The flat mates try various side channels to stealthily coordinate and transmit information. You will learn how to find covert channels and covert coordination techniques in the real-world.

- Episode 4: Clever Hans

We get a brief over view of the history of side channels and the flat mates try to win the card game "Hanabi" in which you cannot see your own cards. They try to use side channels to still obtain information about their own cards. You will improve your skills in covertly coordinating and in using side channels to infer what another person intended.

- Episode 5: Poker Face

The flat mates are worried about how to defend against all these attacks. In a game of "Coup" they try side-channel mitigation strategies and hide their own secrets from the other players. You will learn what the basic idea of side-channel mitigation is about.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches skills that are right now in high demand in industry and academia

Develops skills in detecting and mitigating side channel leakage

Provides hands-on exercises to apply course concepts

Presents real-world examples and case studies

Interactive and engaging format with scenario-based learning

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Side-Channel Security: Developing a Side-Channel Mindset with these activities:

Review Queueing Theory: Poisson Distribution

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Start by reviewing the Poisson Distribution, which describes the probability of a given number of events occurring in a fixed interval of time and space.

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Understand the formula for the Poisson distribution and its parameters.
Practice calculating Poisson probabilities using online calculators or software.
Solve word problems involving Poisson distributions.

Host a Study Group on Side-Channel Mitigation Strategies

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Collaborate with peers to discuss and explore effective strategies for mitigating side-channel attacks in real-world systems.

Browse courses on Side-Channel Attacks

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Organize a study group with classmates or colleagues.
Select resources and materials on side-channel mitigation.
Facilitate discussions and share knowledge on various mitigation techniques.
Develop a set of best practices for mitigating side-channel attacks.

Solve Side-Channel Attack Challenges

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Practice applying side-channel attack techniques by solving challenges on platforms like Hack The Box or CTFTime.

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Identify online platforms that offer side-channel attack challenges.
Select a challenge and analyze the provided information.
Apply side-channel attack techniques to extract secret data.
Submit your solution and compare it with others.

Five other activities

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Create a Side-Channel Attack Simulation

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Build a simple simulation of a side-channel attack to illustrate how attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in real-world systems.

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Choose a target system or application.
Identify potential side-channel vulnerabilities.
Design and implement a simulation that demonstrates the attack.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the attack and discuss mitigation strategies.

Mentor Students or Colleagues on Side-Channel Attacks

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Share your knowledge and experience by mentoring students or colleagues who are interested in learning about side-channel attacks.

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Identify individuals who are seeking guidance on side-channel attacks.
Offer your mentorship and establish a communication channel.
Provide tailored guidance, answer questions, and share resources.
Encourage your mentees to participate in side-channel attack competitions or projects.

Explore Advanced Side-Channel Analysis Techniques

Show steps

Supplement your understanding by following tutorials and resources that cover advanced side-channel analysis techniques, such as Differential Power Analysis (DPA) and Correlation Power Analysis (CPA).

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Identify reputable sources for advanced side-channel analysis tutorials.
Follow step-by-step instructions to implement DPA or CPA techniques.
Analyze captured side-channel traces and extract secret information.

Contribute to Open-Source Side-Channel Analysis Tools

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Support the development of open-source side-channel analysis tools by contributing code, documentation, or bug fixes.

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Identify open-source side-channel analysis projects.
Review the project's codebase and documentation.
Identify areas where you can contribute or improve the tool.
Submit your contributions to the project's repository.

Participate in Side-Channel Attack Competitions

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Engage in side-channel attack competitions to test your skills, learn from others, and contribute to the field.

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Identify upcoming side-channel attack competitions.
Form a team or participate individually.
Analyze provided scenarios and develop innovative side-channel attack solutions.
Submit your findings and compete for recognition and prizes.

Career center

Learners who complete Side-Channel Security: Developing a Side-Channel Mindset will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Security Consultant

As a Security Consultant, you will help businesses improve their security posture and protect their assets from cyber threats. This course can help you develop the critical thinking skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to compromise security systems. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping businesses protect themselves from cyber attacks.

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Penetration Tester

As a Penetration Tester, you will be responsible for testing the security of computer systems and networks. This course can help you develop the skills needed to find and exploit side channels, which can be used to compromise security systems. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you identify and exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Penetration Tester

Cybersecurity Analyst

As a Cybersecurity Analyst, you will be responsible for monitoring and analyzing security data to identify and respond to cyber threats. This course can help you develop the skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to compromise security systems. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to identify and respond to cyber threats.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cybersecurity Analyst

Security Engineer

As a Security Engineer, you will be responsible for designing and implementing security systems to protect computer systems and networks. This course can help you develop the skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to compromise security systems. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to design and implement security systems that are resistant to cyber attacks.

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Information Security Manager

As an Information Security Manager, you will be responsible for the overall security of an organization's information systems. This course can help you develop the skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to compromise security systems. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to protect an organization's information systems from cyber attacks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Security Manager

Cryptographer

As a Cryptographer, you will be responsible for developing and implementing cryptographic algorithms to protect sensitive data. This course can help you develop the skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to compromise cryptographic algorithms. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to develop and implement cryptographic algorithms that are resistant to cyber attacks.

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Forensic Analyst

As a Forensic Analyst, you will be responsible for investigating cyber crimes and collecting evidence to support legal proceedings. This course can help you develop the skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to investigate cyber crimes. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to investigate cyber crimes and collect evidence to support legal proceedings.

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Security Researcher

As a Security Researcher, you will be responsible for conducting research to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities. This course can help you develop the skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to identify security vulnerabilities. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to conduct research to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities.

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Technical Writer

As a Technical Writer, you will be responsible for writing technical documentation, such as manuals, white papers, and articles. This course can help you develop the skills needed to communicate complex technical information clearly and concisely. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to write technical documentation that is accurate and informative.

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Sales Engineer

As a Sales Engineer, you will be responsible for selling and supporting technical products and services. This course can help you develop the skills needed to understand the technical aspects of products and services and to communicate their benefits to customers. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to sell and support technical products and services.

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System Administrator

As a System Administrator, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of computer systems. This course can help you develop the skills needed to manage computer systems efficiently and securely. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to manage computer systems that are resistant to cyber attacks.

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Network Administrator

As a Network Administrator, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of computer networks. This course can help you develop the skills needed to manage computer networks efficiently and securely. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to manage computer networks that are resistant to cyber attacks.

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Database Administrator

As a Database Administrator, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of databases. This course can help you develop the skills needed to manage databases efficiently and securely. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to manage databases that are resistant to cyber attacks.

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IT Auditor

As an IT Auditor, you will be responsible for assessing the security of computer systems and networks. This course can help you develop the skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to compromise security systems. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to assess the security of computer systems and networks.

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Risk Analyst

As a Risk Analyst, you will be responsible for assessing the risks to an organization's information systems. This course can help you develop the skills needed to identify and exploit side channels, which can be used to compromise security systems. You will also learn about the history of side channels and how to mitigate their effects. This knowledge can be invaluable in helping you to assess the risks to an organization's information systems.

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