Post-doc position proposal
From: Seznec Andre (Andre.Seznec@irisa.fr)
Date: 03/06/03
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From: Seznec Andre <Andre.Seznec@irisa.fr> Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2003 13:44:47 +0100
Cryptanalysis and/or new usages of the empirically strong
random number generator HAVEGE.
Brief presentation of HAVEGE:
Random numbers with high cryptographic quality
are needed to enhance the security of cryptography applications.
Hardware true random number generators are not implemented on all
computer systems. Then, many implementations rely on software heuristics
such as entropy gathering from measuring unpredictable external
events. These generators only deliver a few bits per event.
This limits them for being used as seeds for pseudo-random generators.
HAVEGE (HArdware Volatile Entropy Gathering
and Expansion) is a new software heuristic for generating
``empirically strong random numbers'' on processor systems implemented
around modern superscalar microprocessors, as for instance PCs,
workstations or PDAs. By empirically strong random numbers,
we mean that 1) to the best of our knowledge the distributions
of the generated sequences do not exhibit any bias,
2) that reproducing the generated sequences appears to be impossible
in practice.
General-purpose processors feature a large number of hardware
mechanisms that aim to improve performance: for instance caches
and branch predictors. The state of these components is not
architectural (i.e., the result of an ordinary application does
not depend on it). It is also volatile and cannot be directly
monitored by the user. On the other hand, every operating system
interrupt modifies thousands of these binary volatile states.
HAVEGE combines entropy/uncertainty gathering from the internal
hardware volatile states of the processors with pseudo-random
number generation.
Internal hardware states are indirectly probed through the hardware
clock counter and maintained in chaotic states.
Since the internal state of HAVEGE includes thousands of internal
volatile hardware states, it is virtually impossible even for the
user itself to reproduce the generated sequences.
HAVEGE presents an unprecedented throughput for an empirically
strong random number generator: than 100 Mbits/s on recent PCs and
workstations.
More information on HAVEGE:
http://www.irisa.fr/caps/projects/hipsor/HAVEGE.html
Postdoc proposal:
The precise post-doc subject will be defined by the candidate
in collaboration with André Seznec (CAPS team from IRISA/INRIA at
Rennes)
and Nicolas Sendrier (CODES team at INRIA Rocquencourt)
Depending on the profile of the candidate, the subject may include work
on the cryptanalysis/enhancement for HAVEGE, and/or on the new usages
of HAVEGE (porting HAVEGE on new types of platforms such as PDAs,
embedded systems, ..), but also new applications
using the unprecedented throughput of the generator.
Desired profiles:
We will be considering candidates with a Ph. D. in any of the following
domains: cryptology, random number generation, operating systems,
security.
Computer architecture expertise wil be provided by IRISA.
Contact and further information on the post-doc proposal:
André Seznec
seznec@irisa.fr
tel: (33) 299847336
Further information:
-about IRISA/INRIA in general:
http://www.irisa.fr/accueil/index_uk.htm
-about CAPS team:
http://www.irisa.fr/caps/
-about funding and administrative informations:
http://www.inria.fr/travailler/opportunites/postdoc.en.html
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