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Home » Magazine Archive » 2009 » No. 5 » Lest We Remember: cold-boot attacks on encryption... » Full Text
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Lest We Remember: cold-boot attacks on encryption keys
![[article image]](/system/assets/0000/0599/042209_CACMp94_Lest_We_Remember.large.jpg?1240437944&1240437944 "cold-boot attack of a laptop's memory chips")
Contrary to widespread assumption, dynamic RAM (DRAM), the main memory in most modern computers, retains its contents for several seconds after power is lost. Although DRAM becomes less reliable when it is not refreshed, it is not immediately erased, and its contents persist sufficiently for malicious (or forensic) acquisition of usable full-system memory images. This phenomenon limits the ability of an operating system to protect cryptographic key material from an attacker with physical access to a machine. It poses a particular threat to laptop users who rely on disk encryption. Though we discuss several strategies for mitigating risks, we know of no simple remedy that would eliminate them.
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