A Taxonomy of Side-Channels

After the discovery of data leakage from crypto-graphic algorithm implementations, there has been a need to counter or hide the data that allow adversaries to capture the cryptographic key. To explore side-channel attack methods or countermeasures, it is important for researchers to understand what side-channels are and how they are produced. There have been numerous surveys in which the side-channel attacks and countermeasures are surveyed, but little to no research about the side-channels themselves. This paper addresses this gap in the existing literature by developing a taxonomy for side-channels, classified by the manner in which they are produced. Following the proposed model, some of the common side-channel analysis attack methods are discussed and we show where the side-channel would fit in the proposed model.