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Cache Side-Channel Attacks: When Time Itself Becomes a Leak
Modern computing systems rely on multilayered memory hierarchies designed for speed, not secrecy. CPU caches — L1, L2, L3 — exist to accelerate access to frequently used data. But that optimization introduces a blind spot: timing differences. Attackers can observe tiny delays in memory access and extract information that should never be accessible. No…
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Power and Electromagnetic Side Channels: Data Extraction Across Physical Gaps
1. Beyond Software Boundaries: The Invisible Leakage When people talk about cybersecurity, they usually imagine code vulnerabilities, not physical ones. Yet some of the most insidious data leaks come not from compromised networks but from the subtle energy a device emits as it operates. Power consumption fluctuations and electromagnetic (EM) radiation — normally just…
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Quantum Vulnerabilities in Today’s Cryptography
A Historical Perspective and a Forward-Looking Defense Strategy For decades, modern cryptography has relied on mathematical problems assumed to be computationally infeasible for classical computers. Algorithms like RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) derive their security from the hardness of factoring large integers or solving discrete logarithms. This design has worked because no…
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Side-Channel Attacks on Mobile and IoT what they are, why they matter, and how to defend against them
Side-channel attacks are the ugly truth most developers don’t want to face: they extract secrets without breaking crypto math or getting privileged access — by observing physical or microarchitectural side effects (timing, power consumption, EM emissions, cache behavior, sensors, etc.). On constrained devices like phones and IoT nodes this problem is worse because hardware…
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Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) on Mobile and Network Systems
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) represent the highest tier of targeted cyberattacks: long-term, strategic intrusions executed by highly skilled adversaries, often state-sponsored groups or well-funded criminal organizations. Their goal is simple: remain inside a system for as long as possible while silently gathering intelligence, manipulating assets, or preparing for strategic disruption. Unlike common malware or…