Side-Channel Attacks

Side-channel attacks are a method hackers use to gather secret information from a computer or device by analyzing indirect signs of its operations. Instead of breaking the main security system, they observe patterns like timing, power consumption, electromagnetic emissions, or sound during device activity. For example, by measuring power use when a device processes data, an attacker might deduce sensitive information like passwords or encryption keys. These attacks exploit unintentional information leaks, making even well-protected systems vulnerable if they don’t account for such side channels.