BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 X-WR-CALNAME:EventsCalendar PRODID:-//hacksw/handcal//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York LAST-MODIFIED:20240422T053451Z TZURL:https://www.tzurl.org/zoneinfo-outlook/America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZNAME:EDT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 DTSTART:19700308T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZNAME:EST TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 DTSTART:19701101T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:College of Engineering,Thesis/Dissertations DESCRIPTION:Thesis Advisor: Dr. Gokhan Kul, Computer and Information Scienc e Committee Members: Dr. Debarun Das, Computer and Information Science Prof. Clinton Rogers, Computer and Information Science Abstract: Side cha nnel attacks are an increasingly relevant hardware security threat to mode rn computing systems and embedded systems. While gamification has proven e ffective for cybersecurity education, existing tools for side-channel anal ysis are either inaccessible to undergraduate students, limited to non-int eractive formats such as board games and questionnaires or designed for co mpetitive play like CTF games rather than structured learning. The goal of this thesis is to design, develop a gamified interactive education tool, and evaluate whether this project can improve student understanding of the rmal side-channel attack concepts by making them more accessible and under standable. Toward this end, we created a Unity-based educational game desi gned to teach thermal side-channel attack concepts through interactive vis ualization. The project comprises two game modes: one that teaches passive side channel analysis on a simplified CPU pipeline by visualizing heat pa tterns across instruction execution phases, and another that introduces th ermal analysis of memory access patterns through a heatmap-guided search f or a hidden cryptographic key. Both game modes feature progressive difficu lty supporting incremental learning. The game is deployed as a WebGL appli cation for browser-based access and was evaluated through a classroom surv ey consisting of Computer Science students. Preliminary design feedback an d evaluated survey outcomes suggest that the game can make side-channel co ncepts more accessible to students across various technical backgrounds. For further information please contact Dr. Gokhan Kul at gkul@umassd.edu. \nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/learning-thermal-side-chan nel-attacks-through-gamification.php\nEvent link: https://teams.microsoft. com/meet/215023432773961?p=dcEIALLC4lAHKne7WD X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Thesis Advisor:

Dr. Gok han Kul\, Computer and Information Science

Committee Members:

Dr. Debarun Das\, Computer and Information Science
Prof. Clinton Rogers\, Computer and Information Science

Ab stract:

Side channel attacks are an increasingly relevant hardware security threat to modern computing systems and embedded systems. While g amification has proven effective for cybersecurity education\, existing to ols for side-channel analysis are either inaccessible to undergraduate stu dents\, limited to non-interactive formats such as board games and questio nnaires or designed for competitive play like CTF games rather than struct ured learning. The goal of this thesis is to design\, develop a gamified i nteractive education tool\, and evaluate whether this project can improve student understanding of thermal side-channel attack concepts by making th em more accessible and understandable. Toward this end\, we created a Unit y-based educational game designed to teach thermal side-channel attack con cepts through interactive visualization. The project comprises two game mo des: one that teaches passive side channel analysis on a simplified CPU pi peline by visualizing heat patterns across instruction execution phases\, and another that introduces thermal analysis of memory access patterns thr ough a heatmap-guided search for a hidden cryptographic key. Both game mod es feature progressive difficulty supporting incremental learning. The gam e is deployed as a WebGL application for browser-based access and was eval uated through a classroom survey consisting of Computer Science students. Preliminary design feedback and evaluated survey outcomes suggest that the game can make side-channel concepts more accessible to students across va rious technical backgrounds.

For further information please cont act Dr. Gokhan Kul at gkul@umassd.edu.

Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/learning-thermal-side-ch annel-attacks-through-gamification.php
Event link: https:// teams.microsoft.com/meet/215023432773961?p=dcEIALLC4lAHKne7WD \; DTSTAMP:20260515T130533 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260609T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260609T140000 LOCATION:Online - https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/215023432773961?p=dcEIAL LC4lAHKne7WD SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:Learning Thermal Side Channel Attacks Through Gamifi cation UID:b70a4cbb149dd2d740536772995098f1@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR