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Side-channel countermeasures aim to either hide or decorrelate the leakage from sensitive operations. Explain the principle behind masking/blinding countermeasures. How do they reduce the correlation between processed data and observable power traces? (4 points)

Which side channel attack works best on sequential processors such as smartcards and microcontrollers? Briefly explain (4 points).

VCS is an industry-leading simulator tool from Synopsys. How it can be used in the domain of hardware security? Justify your answer. (5 points)

**Graduate-only Question** How can an FPGA look-up table (LUT) be utilized to implement the combinational and sequential logic circuits? Illustrate with examples. (5 points)

What is the main difference between power and electromagnetic side-channel attacks? (5 points)

Compare the ASIC and FPGA technologies in terms of cost, performance, and flexibility. Justify your answer from a mathematical viewpoint. (5 points)

Would an entity interested in chip modification (including adding, deleting, and modifying traces), followed by a fault injection of an integrated circuit (IC), be considered an attacker, defender, or both? Why? Provide a clear, concise, and complete justification for your answer. (8 points)

**Graduate-only Question** Briefly describe the difference between simple power analysis (SPA) and differential power analysis (DPA) (6 points).

Provide a detailed overview of the stages of routing in the ASIC design flow. (4 points)

The patient with advanced cirrhosis asks the nurse why his abdomen is so swollen. The nurse’s best response is based on the knowledge that it is a result of: