About Me
Who Am I?
I’ve been heavily involved in embedded security for many years, having started the ChipWhisperer project as part of my PhD research. ChipWhisperer took second place in the first Hackaday Prize in 2014, and grew into the startup I co-founded, NewAE Technology Inc. In 2022 NewAE was acquired by lowRISC, the open-source silicon organization behind OpenTitan. I remain involved in NewAE in a part-time/advisory role.
I am currently an assistant professor at Dalhousie University, teaching computer engineering topics including cybersecurity, which means I also completed a PhD on the topic of embedded security, in 2017.
I’ve spoken extensively at conferences on this topic, including Black Hat, DEF CON, RECON and CHES, so you may have seen me around somewhere. The full list of talks and papers is on my publications page.
I co-authored a book with Jasper van Woudenberg, the Hardware Hacking Handbook (No Starch Press, 2021), and a second No Starch book is on the way: Making it Small, on building a small electronics hardware business. I’ve written for Circuit Cellar magazine since 2002, and as a regular columnist since 2013, first with Programmable Logic in Practice and now Embedded System Essentials.
Previously I was fairly active in some of the open-source AVR toolchain development, which is what powers the Arduino platform. This ultimately led to working as a consultant with Atmel for several years. Before security I also worked on low-power wireless networking (6LoWPAN, Zigbee IP and IEEE 802.15.4). I still keep an active interest in low-power wireless networking and RF topics, and have held an amateur radio license (VA1 YHZ) since 2008.
I live in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Social Media Links
My most active links (using and normally updating): https://github.com/colinoflynn https://bsky.app/profile/oflynn.com
My moderately active links (using but not updating often): https://www.linkedin.com/in/coflynn
My archived links (probably never using again): https://twitter.com/colinoflynn
I occasionally take on consulting — side-channel evaluation, secure hardware design review, fault-injection testing. If that's the problem you have, email me with a short description.
11 comments · archived from the old site, read-only
Hello Flynn, if you have a minute could you answer the below?
We are to build a test and measurement chain for ce1621. (5kgs mass from 1 meter dropped to a motorcycling back protector, max force measured on the backside of the protector)
A Kistler/Bruel dynamic high speed load cell (with charge amplifier if needed, max load 22-50kN, frequency response min 7kHz) would transmit data to a DAQ module.
What is the best PC based oscilloscope/DAQ for this job?
Do you thing Bitscope 10 can handle that? I mean if the data collection is fast enough to process all the information (min7000 samples per second)? It is a 2-3 milisecond impact which results in a Gauss type graph with kN values.
Thanks for your help.
Regards, Balazs
Assuming it's a fairly large signal, almost any scope should work. The Bitscope 10 should work, the Picoscope series too would be good. Picoscope has some 12-bit and 16-bit models which might be useful for higher resolution too.
about Pcm E41 or E90 i need digram boot or hardware you made for reading and writing
Hi Colin,
I’m working on FPGA to modify the S-Box on the fly rather than recalculated tables. Your presentation at you tube about (ZedBoard AES in C) will save me if only I get the code you mentioned, as referred to (http://cs.ucsb.edu/~koc/cs178/projects/JT/aver~aes.html) but it is not there anymore. Could you please post your codes (aes.c , aes.h) at your website or email them to me for faster action? Thanks.
Hi Colin,
I saw a video on youtube on your smart card, and I wonder if you can help me a project I want to do.
You perform freelance work? I can send the project for you to read and tell me if it is possible to do.
Best regards
Emerson
Hey Colin, Not sure if this site is still active or not.
I found some of the comments you had on a thread in regards to the T-962A.
I have one of these, and it started blowing fuses. I took it apart and if I measure across the lights, its a dead short. I was curious if you had any thoughts? I saw something about a ground wire, but I cant seem to find any other info on it.
Thanks for any help.
Not sure sorry! I haven't used that thing in a while... the heating elements could be going bad, although I'm not sure what the "correct" resistance is. You might check the T-962A github repo for the updated firmware and ask there? It's a little off-topic but I don't know of other places where you would find the machines.
Hi collin how are you
i saw your videos on youtube and
I'm very interested in your software
I would like to know if I can deploy it inside a blutooth reader to read and store ic chip CARD information?
because this devices the manufacturer informed me comes with open font code to progran and can be programmed in the SDK ,
to devices is below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhstnsT9sHo
because I believe that if you have the source code open so we can program, we can put the line that copies and saves the information, to send to my android or note is not it?
if you give me some direction I thank you
Hi, Colin,
I have received the chipwhiperer kit and thanks for your letter. All tutorial is great thougth some problems with Mac but I finally solved them.
What I’m asking is how to measure the power asumption of swipe, as it RFID stuff. Could you give me some guideline? Thanks
Best Regards
Leo
Hi sir
I read your papers and they are very much related to the work i am doing . can you please suggest me some areas or materials to study to start my phd in side channel attacks. it would be real a great help of you. looking forward for your response.
Hello
how can unlock GM E90 ECM!!