Secure point of sale terminal and associated methods

1. A method comprising:

signing, by a certificate authority, a first certificate signing request from a secure processor to generate a first public-key certificate;

injecting, by a key injection device and after the first certificate signing request is signed by the certificate authority, a first public key into the secure processor;

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

injecting, by the key injection device and after the second certificate signing request is signed by the certificate authority, a second public key into the second processor; and

wherein the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate form a shared persistent identity for the secure processor and the second processor.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, from a device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor to a server, the first public-key certificate;

transmitting, from the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor to the server, the second public-key certificate; and

receiving, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor from the server, encryption keys after an authentication of the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first public-key certificate authenticates the first public key;

the second public-key certificate authenticates the second public key; and

the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate authenticate the shared persistent identity.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, in a secure area on the second processor, a key that is unique to the second processor; and

signing, on a device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor, the second certificate signing request with the key that is unique to the second processor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the second processor and secure processor are located on a point of sale terminal;

the second public key is a public key component of the second public-key certificate; and

a private key that is unique to the second processor and generated on the point of sale terminal is a private key component of the second public-key certificate.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, in a secure area on the second processor, a private key that is unique to the second processor;

wherein the private key that is unique to the second processor is a private key component of the second public-key certificate; and

wherein the second public key is a public key component of the second public-key certificate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the injecting is conducted in a key injection room.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the injecting is conducted via remote key injection.

9. 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.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving, by the point of sale device from a server, financial encryption keys after an authentication of the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate; and

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

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

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

the first public key is injected using remote key injection.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

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

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

erasing, using the secure processor, a first memory if a tamper event is detected; and

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

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

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

obtaining, by financial encryption keys from the server based on the authentication of shared persistent identity.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor to a back-end server, data encrypted by the financial encryption keys using the secure processor; and

processing, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor, an authorization or decline response from the back-end server.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor, secure data via a first input device, wherein the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor is a point of sale terminal;

receiving, by the point of sale terminal, additional secure data via a second input device;

processing, by the secure processor, the secure data and the additional secure data to produce stored secure data;

encrypting, by the point of sale terminal, 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 the point of sale terminal; and

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

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor, secure data from a user via an input device;

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

receiving, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor, non-secure data from the user via the input device; and

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

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:

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

the second memory stores the second public-key certificate.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein:

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

the second processor cannot address the first memory.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

displaying, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor, 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.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein:

the input device is a card reader; and

the secure data is a credit card number.

22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

routing, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor, the secure data to the secure processor using a multiplexer;

routing, by the device encompassing the secure processor and the second processor, the non-secure data to the second processor using the multiplexer;

altering, by the secure processor, a routing state of the multiplexer; and

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

23. The method of claim 22 , 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.

24. A method comprising:

signing, by a certificate authority, a certificate signing request from a first discrete microcontroller to generate a first public-key certificate;

injecting, by a key injection device, a first public key into the first discrete microcontroller;

signing, by the certificate authority, a second certificate signing request from a second discrete microcontroller to generate a second public-key certificate;

injecting, by a key injection device, a second public key into the second discrete microcontroller;

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

wherein the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate form a shared persistent identity for the first discrete microcontroller and the second discrete microcontroller.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

receiving, by the single point of sale terminal from a server, financial encryption subsequent to an authentication of the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate; and

encrypting, on the single point of sale terminal and using the financial encryption keys, payment information received on the single point of sale terminal.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein:

the first public-key certificate authenticates the first public key;

the second public-key certificate authenticates the second public key; and

the first public-key certificate and the second public-key certificate authenticate the shared persistent identity.

27. The method of claim 24 , wherein:

the signing is conducted by a certificate authority; and

the injecting is conducted via remote key injection.

28. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

receiving, by the single point of sale terminal, secure data from a user via an input device;

processing, by a secure processor on the first discrete microcontroller and using a first memory, the secure data to produce encrypted secure data;

receiving, the single point of sale terminal, non-secure data from the user via the input device; and

processing, by the second discrete microcontroller and using a second memory, the non-secure data.

29. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

generating, in a secure area on the second discrete microcontroller, a key that is unique to the second discrete microcontroller; and

signing, on the single point of sale terminal, the second certificate signing request with the key that is unique to the second discrete microcontroller.

30. The method of claim 24 , wherein:

the second public key is a public key component of the second public-key certificate; and

a private key that is unique to the second discrete microcontroller and generated on the single point of sale terminal is a private key component of the second public-key certificate.

31. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

generating, in a secure area on the second discrete microcontroller, a private key that is unique to the second discrete microcontroller;

wherein the private key that is unique to the second discrete microcontroller is a private key component of the second public-key certificate; and

wherein the second public key is a public key component of the second public-key certificate.