MIST: An Efficient, Randomized Exponentiation Algorithm for Resisting Power Analysis

The MIST algorithm generates randomly different addition chains for performing a particular exponentiation. This means that power attacks which require averaging over a number of exponentiation power traces becomes impossible. Moreover, attacks which are based on recognising repeated use of the same pre-computed multipliers during an individual exponentiation are also infeasible. The algorithm is particularly well suited to cryptographic functions which depend on exponentiation and which are implemented in embedded systems such as smart cards. It is more efficient than the normal square-and-multiply algorithm and uses less memory than 4-ary exponentiation.

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