Tamper resistant module certification authority
Methods and apparati for securely loading one or more computer software applications onto a tamper resistant module (TRM) ( 107 ) and for securely deleting one or more applications from the TRM. An embodiment of the invention comprises a method for determining, based at least upon an encrypted personalization data block, whether a TRM ( 107 ) is part of a qualified set of TRM's to accept loading of an application. Thereafter, the method provides for loading the application onto the TRM ( 107 ) only after the first step determines that the TRM ( 107 ) is qualified to accept the loading of the application. Another embodiment comprises a method for determining, based at least upon an encrypted personalization data block, whether a TRM ( 107 ) is part of a qualified set of TRM's to accept deleting of an application. Thereafter, the method provides for deleting the application from the TRM ( 107 ) only when the first step determines that the TRM ( 107 ) is qualified to accept the deleting of the application.
1. A method for securely loading a software application onto at least one tamper resistant module (TRM), said method comprising:
determining, based at least upon an encrypted personalization data block, whether the at least one TRM is part of a qualified set of TRM's to accept loading of said application; and
loading the application onto the TRM only after the determining step determines that the TRM is qualified to accept the loading of the application.
2. A method for securely deleting a software application from at least one tamper resistant module (TRM), the method comprising:
determining, based at least upon an encrypted personalization data block, whether the at least one TRM is part of a qualified set of TRM's to accept deleting of said application; and
deleting the application from the TRM only after the determining step determines that the TRM is qualified to accept the deleting of the application.
3. Apparatus comprising:
at least one tamper resistant module (TRM); and
a software application; wherein:
each TRM comprises TRM personalization data representative of said TRM, and said application is assigned a permissions data set representing at least one TRM upon which said application is permitted to be loaded;
said apparatus further comprising means for determining whether said TRM personalization data falls within said permissions data set.
4. Apparatus comprising:
a personal computer (PC) having at least one tamper resistant module (TRM); and
a software application; wherein:
each PC and TRM combination (PCITRM) comprises PC/TRM personalization data representative of said PC/TRM, and said application is assigned a permissions data set representing at least one PC/TRM upon which said application is permitted to be loaded;
said apparatus further comprising means for determining whether said PC/TRM personalization data falls within said permissions data set.