Embedded systems have a plethora of security solutions and encryption protocols that can protect them against a multitude of attacks. Hardware engineers infuse lot of time and effort in implementing cryptographic algorithms, keeping the analysis of design constraints into rumination. When it comes to designs in potential hostile environment, engineers face a challenge for building resistance-free embedded systems against attacks called side channel attacks. Therefore, there is a strong need to address issues related to side channel attacks. This chapter will provide an insight into the field of hardware security, and will provide a deep investigation of various types of side channel attacks and better understanding of various power analysis tools, which will further give researchers a vision to build efficient and secure systems in order to thwart attacks. This chapter mainly focuses on passive attacks as compared to active attacks since passive attacks are easy to perform and lot of research is going on these attacks.
