Semiconductor security R&D company Cryptography Research Inc has announced that it has signed a license agreement with a “major smartphone manufacturer” for the use of patents.

Cryptography Research Inc (CRI), which is a division of Rambus Inc, has licensed its Differential Power Analysis (DPA) countermeasure patents to an as-yet undisclosed smartphone maker. Under the agreement, ongoing royalties will be paid for the use of CRIs patented innovations. 

Differential Power Analysis (DPA) is a form of attack that involves monitoring variations in electrical power consumption of a target device, and then uses advanced statistical methods to derive cryptographic keys or other sensitive data. Countermeasures to DPA are therefore important for securing mobile devices, bank cards, pay television systems, secure identity products, secure storage media, and other electronic systems and components. 

“Consumers increasingly rely on their smartphones and tablets to perform financial transactions, store personal data and access premium content,” says Paul Kocher, president and chief scientist at Cryptography Research. “Our DPA countermeasures technology is a key part of securing mobile devices to safeguard the data of consumers and content providers worldwide.”