Cryptography Research and MasterCard Worldwide today announced that they have signed an agreement relating to Cryptography Research's patent portfolio covering countermeasures to Differential Power Analysis (DPA).
Under the agreement, MasterCard will require that vendors of smart cards and other cryptographic products that utilize DPA countermeasures be licensed from Cryptography Research in order to be used on MasterCard's payment networks.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement with MasterCard," said Kit Rodgers, Vice President of Business Development & Licensing, Cryptography Research. "This agreement is a tangible example of MasterCard's commitment to ensure that devices used on its network implement effective security technologies."
"We recognize the importance of Cryptography Research's DPA technology and intellectual property in the area of tamper-resistant semiconductors," said Christian Delporte, Vice President, Chip Centre of Excellence, MasterCard Worldwide. "The new requirements and rigorous testing provide enhanced assurances to our smart cards and devices."
Cryptography Research recently announced licenses with Infineon, Renesas, and NXP for their smart card semiconductor products.