We are excited to introduce our new research project, Leakage Models for Masking: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice (LEAK), which aims to strengthen the security of cryptographic implementations by identifying and mitigating leakage vulnerabilities over the next four years.

In collaboration with Andreas Heinemann (Hochschule Darmstadt) and Norman Lahr (Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology), we will explore leakage properties in both classical and post-quantum cryptographic schemes, analyze leakage from a RISC-V processor, and develop a practice-oriented leakage model that bridges theoretical security principles with real-world challenges. Additionally, we aim to design provably secure masking schemes that enhance the resilience of cryptographic implementations against side-channel attacks.

This four-year project is funded by the National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity (ATHENE).