Differential Power Analysis (DPA)
Differential Power Analysis (DPA) is a type of attack used by hackers to try to find secret information that is stored in electronic devices, such as a computer or a phone. Hackers use DPA by looking at how much power a device uses when carrying out certain actions, such as typing on a keyboard or doing a calculation. They use this information to try to figure out secret codes or passwords that the device is using to keep information safe.
To understand how DPA works, imagine that you have a safe with a secret code that you use to keep important things inside. A hacker could use DPA to try to guess what your code is by looking at how much energy your safe uses when it moves a certain way or when you enter a number. They might be able to guess what your code is by looking at how much energy your safe uses when you use it, even if they don’t know what your code is.
To protect against DPA attacks, computers and phones use special software and hardware that make it harder for hackers to figure out secret information. This is called encryption. Encryption works by changing secret information into a code that is very hard to crack, even if a hacker is using DPA to try to figure it out.