Protecting Quantum Era Cryptography. Today.
Compact AES Encryption Core with Robust SCA/FI Protection for Constrained Devices
FortifyIQ’s Compact AES IP core is an ultra-lightweight hardware accelerator optimized for resource-constrained embedded systems that require secure encryption with minimal area and power consumption. Supporting AES-128 encryption in ECB mode only, the design focuses on essential cryptographic functionality for devices such as smart sensors, RFID, and secure tokens. Despite its small footprint, the core integrates advanced, implementation-agnostic protections against side-channel analysis (SCA) and fault injection (FI) at the RTL level, ensuring strong physical attack resistance. Built for easy integration and hardware-level assurance, this core is engineered to support certification under FIPS 140-3 and Common Criteria, making it a trusted choice for compact, high-assurance secure applications.
FortifyIQ’s Compact AES Encryption Core is a silicon-proven, ultra-compact cryptographic IP designed for extremely resource-constrained embedded systems. Supporting only AES-128 encryption in ECB mode, this core is optimized for secure applications in devices such as smart tags, IoT sensors, secure elements, and battery-powered microcontrollers that require minimal area and power consumption.
To achieve such efficiency, the design is based on a single S-box architecture and a fully serialized round structure, dramatically reducing logic and memory usage while maintaining compliance with the AES standard. Despite its minimal footprint, the core provides robust protection against physical attacks, incorporating FortifyIQ’s innovative RAMBAM protection scheme. This scheme is a highly efficient, algorithmic countermeasure framework designed to mitigate both side-channel analysis (SCA) and fault injection (FI) attacks.
RAMBAM operates entirely at the RTL level, is implementation-agnostic, and introduces no dependency on physical design constraints, ensuring consistent security across ASIC and FPGA targets. A Common Criteria accredited laboratory has independently validated RAMBAM at the highest security assurance level.
In addition to its proven physical security, the core is engineered to meet certification requirements under FIPS 140-3 and Common Criteria, making it suitable for deployment in high-assurance applications where compact, hardened AES encryption is essential. FortifyIQ’s Compact AES Encryption Core combines minimal silicon footprint with advanced certified protection, enabling robust encryption even in the smallest, most power-sensitive embedded systems.
