Secure point of sale terminal and associated methods

1. A method comprising:

injecting a first public key into a secure processor;

signing a certificate signing request from the secure processor to generate a first public-key certificate;

injecting a second public key into a second processor;

signing a second certificate signing request from the second processor to generate a second public-key certificate;

wherein the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate form a bonded pair of certificates; and

wherein the bonded pair of certificates form a persistent identity for the secure processor and the second processor.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the first public-key certificate at a server;

receiving the second public-key certificate at the server; and

transmitting financial encryption keys from the server to a device in response to an authentication of the bonded pair of certificates.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate are transmitted using transport layer security.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the signing is conducted by a certificate authority; and

the injecting is conducted in a key injection room.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the injecting is conducted via remote key injection.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the secure processor and the second processor are located in a point of sale device;

the first public key is injected into a first memory;

the first memory is associated with operation of the secure processor and integrated on a single integrated circuit with the secure processor; and

the second processor does not have access to the first memory.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

transmitting financial encryption keys from a server to the point of sale device in response to an authentication of the bonded pair of certificates; and

encrypting, on the secure processor and using the financial encryption keys, payment information received on the point of sale device.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the secure processor and the second processor are discrete microcontrollers; and

the first public key is injected using remote key injection.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the secure processor and the second processor are different cores on a multi-core processor.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

authenticating the secure processor and the second processor to a server by sending the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate to the server; and

erasing a first memory if a tamper event is detected;

wherein the first public-key certificate is stored in the first memory.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

authenticating the secure processor and the second processor to a server by sending the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate to the server; and

obtaining financial encryption keys from the server based on the authentication of the bonded pair of certificates.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

communicating with a back-end server using the financial encryption keys and the secure processor; and

processing an authorization or decline response from the back-end server;

wherein the secure processor and the second processor are both located in a point of sale terminal.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving secure data via a first input device;

receiving additional secure data via a second input device;

processing the secure data and the additional secure data using the secure processor to produce stored secure data; and

encrypting the stored secure data in bulk, using the financial encryption keys, for transmission to a back-end server;

wherein the first input device is a touch screen on a point of sale terminal; and

wherein the second input device is a card reader on the point of sale terminal.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving secure data from a user via an input device;

processing the secure data using the secure processor and a first memory to produce encrypted secure data;

receiving non-secure data from the user via the input device; and

processing the non-secure data using the second processor and a second memory.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the first memory stores the first public-key certificate; and

the second memory stores the second public-key certificate.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the first memory and the second memory are separate and distinct hardware components; and

the second processor cannot address the first memory.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

instantiating a virtual keypad for the user on a touch screen display;

wherein the input device is the touch screen display; and

wherein the secure data is a personal identification number entered via the virtual keypad.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the input device is a card reader; and

the secure data is a credit card number.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

routing the secure data to the secure processor using a multiplexer;

routing the non-secure data to the second processor using the multiplexer; and

altering a routing state of the multiplexer using the secure processor;

wherein the routing state of the multiplexer is only controlled by the secure processor.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein:

the secure processor and the multiplexer are located on a single integrated circuit;

the multiplexer is a block of circuitry on the single integrated circuit; and

the secure processor controls the multiplexer via interconnects in the single integrated circuit.

21. A method comprising:

injecting a first public key into a first discrete microcontroller, wherein the first discrete microcontroller includes a secure processor;

signing a certificate signing request from the secure processor to generate a first public-key certificate;

injecting a second public key into a second discrete microcontroller, wherein the second discrete microcontroller includes a second processor; and

signing a second certificate signing request from the second processor to generate a second public-key certificate;

wherein the first and second discrete microcontrollers are both part of a single point of sale terminal;

wherein the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate form a bonded pair of certificates; and

wherein the bonded pair of certificates form a persistent identity for the secure processor and the second processor.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

transmitting financial encryption keys from a server to the point of sale device in response to an authentication of the bonded pair of certificates; and

encrypting, using the financial encryption keys, payment information received on the point of sale device.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein:

the second processor instantiates an operating system for the point of sale terminal;

the encrypting is conducted by the secure processor;

the financial encryption keys are stored in a first memory;

the secure processor has access to the first memory and the second processor does not have access to the first memory; and

the point of sale device includes a discrete battery for the first memory.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein:

the signing is conducted by a certificate authority; and

the injecting is conducted via remote key injection.

25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

receiving secure data from a user via an input device;

processing the secure data using the secure processor and a first memory to produce encrypted secure data;

receiving non-secure data from the user via the input device; and

processing the non-secure data using the second processor and a second memory.