Method for securing memory mapped control registers

A computer system comprising:

• a player application that receives data content;
• a decoder that stores and decodes the data content received at the player, the decoder including hardware registers to store the data content;
• a driver, coupled to the decoder, that allocates the hardware registers within for access by the player application;
• and
• a first security module, coupled to the driver, that secures a first list of resources corresponding to the hardware registers to prevent unauthorized access of the data content within the hardware registers.

An article of manufacture including one or more computer readable media that embody a program of instructions, wherein the program of instructions, when executed by a processing unit, causes the processing unit to:

• store a first list of hardware registers;
• receive video data at an application program;
• receive a second list of hardware registers from a device driver;
• determine whether the first list of hardware registers matches the second list of hardware registers;
• and
• if so, stream the video data to a video decoder.