True Random Number Generators (TRNGs) and Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are critical hardware primitives for cryptographic systems, providing randomness and device-specific security. TRNGs require complete randomness, while PUFs rely on consistent, device-unique responses. In this work, both primitives are implemented on a System-on-Chip Field-Programmable Gate Array (SoC FPGA), leveraging the integrated Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs) for robust entropy generation in PLLbased TRNGs. A...

Phase-locked loops (PLLs) integrated within field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or System-on-Chip FPGAs (SoCs) represent a promising approach for generating random numbers. Their widespread deployment, isolated functionality within these devices, and robust entropy, as demonstrated in prior studies, position PLL-based true random number generators (PLL-TRNGs) as highly viable solutions for this purpose. This study explicitly examines PLL-TRNG implementations using the ZC702 Rev1.1...

TRNG is an essential component for security applications. A vulnerable TRNG could be exploited to facilitate potential attacks or be related to a reduced key space, and eventually results in a compromised cryptographic system. A digital FIRO-/GARO-based TRNG with high throughput and high entropy rate was introduced by Jovan Dj. Golić (TC’06). However, the fact that periodic oscillation is a main failure of FIRO-/GARO-based TRNGs is noticed in the paper (Markus Dichtl, ePrint’15). We verify...

The paper " An energy and area efficient, all digital entropy source compatible with modern standards based on jitter pipelining", by Peetermans and Verbauwhede, IACR Transactions on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, Aug. 2022, 88-109, suggests a pipelined TRNG design and a stochastic model for it. The stochastic model is shown to be inadequate and other problems of the TRNG design are identified. Possible fixes for the problems are considered.

The promise of scalable quantum computing is causing major upheaval in the domain of cryptography and security. In this perspective paper, we review the progress towards the realization of large-scale quantum computing. We further summarize the imminent threats towards existing cryptographic primitives. To address this challenges, there is a consolidated effort towards the standardization of new cryptographic primitives, namely post-quantum cryptography (PQC). We discuss the underlying...

The protection of confidential information is a global issue and block encryption algorithms are the most reliable option for securing data. The famous information theorist, Claude Shannon has given two desirable characteristics that should exist in a strong cipher which are substitution and permutation in their fundamental research on "Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems.” block ciphers strictly follow the substitution and permutation principle in an iterative manner to generate a...

This paper proposes Băhēm; a symmetric cipher that, when used with a pre-shared secret key k, no cryptanalysis can degrade its security below H(k) bits of entropy, even under Grover's algorithm or even if it turned out that P = NP. Băhēm's security is very similar to that of the one-time pad (OTP), except that it does not require the communicating parties the inconvenient constraint of generating a large random pad in advance of their communication. Instead, Băhēm allows the parties...

When it comes to cryptographic random number generation, poor understanding of the security requirements and ``mythical aura'' of black-box statistical testing frequently leads it to be used as a substitute for cryptanalysis. To make things worse, a seemingly standard document, NIST SP 800-22, describes 15 statistical tests and suggests that they can be used to evaluate random and pseudorandom number generators in cryptographic applications. The Chinese standard GM/T 0005-2012 describes...

Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and True Random Number Generators (TRNGs) are two highly useful hardware primitives to build up the root-of-trust for an embedded device. PUFs are designed to offer repetitive and instance-specific randomness, whereas TRNGs are expected to be invariably random. In this paper, we present a dual-mode PUF-TRNG design that utilises two different hardware-intrinsic properties, i.e. oscillation frequency of the Transition Effect Ring Oscillator (TERO) cell...

The RISC-V True Random Number Generator (TRNG) architecture breaks with previous ISA TRNG practice by splitting the Entropy Source (ES) component away from cryptographic DRBGs into a separate privileged interface, and in its use of polling. The modular approach is suitable for the RISC-V hardware IP ecosystem, allows a significantly smaller implementation footprint on platforms that need it, while directly supporting current standards compliance testing methods. We describe the interface,...

In digital world cryptographic algorithms protect sensitive information from intruder during communication. True random number generation is used for Cryptography algorithms as key value encryption and decryption process. To develop unbreakable algorithms key as one important parameter for Cryptography .We proposed DNA based True random number generation.DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid chemical molecule present in all living cells. DNA molecule consists of 4 nucleotides...

High-order masking countermeasures against side-channel attacks usually require plenty of randomness during their execution. For security against t probes, the classical ISW countermeasure requires O(t^2 s) random bits, where s is the circuit size. However running a True Random Number Generator (TRNG) can be costly in practice and become a bottleneck on embedded devices. In [IKL+13] the authors introduced the notion of robust pseudo-random number generator (PRG), which must remain secure...

In an article from CHES 2015, which appears in extended form in the Journal of Cryptology in 2019, Bernard, Haddad, Fischer, and Nicolai modeled the physical behavior of a transient effect ring oscillator (TERO), thereby providing a means to certify its operation as a true random number generator (TRNG). In this work, we disprove the physical assumption on which the whole model is based. Moreover, we show that the convenient use of tractable, closed-form equations stems from a mathematical...

Ring oscillator-based true random number generators (RO-based TRNGs) are widely used to provide unpredictable random numbers for cryptographic systems. The unpredictability of the output numbers, which can be measured by entropy, is extracted from the jitter of the oscillatory signal. To quantitatively evaluate the entropy, several stochastic models have been proposed, all of which take the jitter as a key input parameter. So it is crucial to accurately estimate the jitter in the process of...

True random number generators (TRNGs) are essential for cryptographic systems, and they are usually evaluated by the concept of entropy. In general, the entropy of a TRNG is estimated from its stochastic model, and reflected in the statistical results of the generated raw bits. Oscillator-based TRNGs are widely used in practical cryptographic systems due to its elegant structure, and its stochastic model has been studied in different aspects. In this paper, we investigate the applicability...

We introduce the concept of canary numbers, to be used in health tests for true random number generators. Health tests are essential components of true random number generators because they are used to detect defects and failures of the entropy source. These tests need to be lightweight, low-latency and highly reliable. The proposed solution uses canary numbers which are an extra output of the entropy source of lower quality. This enables an early-warning attack detection before the output...

We demonstrate a prototype implementation of a provably secure protocol that supports privacy-preserving mutual authentication between a server and a constrained device. Our proposed protocol is based on a physically unclonable function (PUF) and it is optimized for resource-constrained platforms. The reported results include a full protocol analysis, the design of its building blocks, their integration into a constrained device, and finally its performance evaluation. We show how to obtain...

Security in random number generation for cryptography is closely related to the entropy rate at the generator output. This rate has to be evaluated using an appropriate stochastic model. The stochastic model proposed in this paper is dedicated to the transition effect ring oscillator (TERO) based true random number generator (TRNG) proposed by Varchola and Drutarovsky in 2010. The advantage and originality of this model is that it is derived from a physical model based on a detailed study...

Fibonacci ring oscillators are shown to have a risk to oscillate periodically instead of chaotically. The security implications of this are discussed. The probability of the occurrence of the periodic oscillations is determined experimentally on an FPGA for Fibonacci ring oscillators of lengths 16 and 32. Means to overcome the problem of the periodic oscillations are also discussed.

With the globalization of semiconductor production, out-sourcing IC fabrication has become a trend in various aspects. This, however, introduces serious threats from the entire untrusted supply chain. To combat these threats, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) proposed in 2014 the SHIELD (Supply Chain Hardware Integrity for Electronics Defense) program to design a secure hardware root-of-trust, called dielet, to be inserted into the host package of legitimately produced ICs....

Barak, Shaltiel Tromer showed how to construct a True Random Number Generator (TRNG) which is secure against an adversary who has some limited control over the environment. In this paper we improve the security analysis of this TRNG. Essentially, we significantly reduce the entropy loss and running time needed to obtain a required level of security and robustness. Our approach is based on replacing the combination of union bounds and tail inequalities for $\ell$-wise independent random...

Physical random number generators (a.k.a. TRNGs) appear to be critical components of many cryptographic systems. Yet, such building blocks are still too seldom provided with a formal assessment of security, in comparison to what is achieved for conventional cryptography. In this work, we present a comprehensive statistical study of TRNGs based on the sampling of an oscillator subject to phase noise (a.k.a. phase jitters). This classical layout, typically instantiated with a ring oscillator,...