The research focus of the Chair of Embedded Systems Security (ESSEC) is on the security of implementations of cryptographic processes. A central aspect is hardware security, in particular protection against physical attacks such as side-channel analyses and fault injection attacks. These attacks pose a serious threat to embedded systems and require specially adapted countermeasures on various implementation platforms, including ASICs, FPGAs and microprocessors.
A significant part of the research is dedicated to analysing the security of real systems, especially in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), where limited resources and high interconnectivity pose new challenges to the integrity and confidentiality of data. The aim is to implement cryptographic primitives efficiently and securely in both hardware and software while meeting the increasing demands on performance, energy efficiency and attack resistance.

Another research focus is the interface between artificial intelligence and embedded security. This includes the implementation of cryptographic primitives in deep neural networks (DNNs) and the use of AI methods to improve and automate side-channel analyses (SCA). AI can help to identify vulnerabilities more quickly and develop more efficient attack models. At the same time, the professorship also investigates side-channel attacks on neural networks themselves and develops suitable countermeasures to increase the robustness of these systems against physical attacks.
Another research focus is on post-quantum cryptography, i.e. cryptographic methods that are also resistant to attacks by future quantum computers. The professorship deals with their efficient and secure implementation on embedded platforms in order to develop sustainable security solutions in the long term.
Overall, the professorship's research aims to create robust and trustworthy security solutions for current and future embedded systems - by combining theoretical foundations with practical implementation.