Memory system and operation method thereof

A method for operating a memory system provided with a memory device and a controller controlling the memory device, comprising:

• executing, by one or more first processing blocks, a boot loader stored in a boot memory of the controller to load an encrypted first boot image from the memory device into a buffer memory of the controller;
• decrypting, by the one or more first processing blocks, the encrypted first boot image by using a first authentication key stored in the boot memory;
• driving, by the one or more first processing blocks, first firmware to initialize themselves;
• loading, by a select first processing block, among the initialized one or more first processing blocks, an encrypted second boot image and a second authentication key from the memory device into the buffer memory based on the first firmware;
• decrypting, by the select first processing block, the encrypted second boot image by using the loaded second authentication key based on the first firmware;
• and
• initializing, by the select first processing block, one or more second processing blocks by driving a second firmware included in the decrypted second boot image based on the first firmware.

A memory system comprising:

• a storage device suitable for storing an encrypted boot image containing at least a primary portion and a secondary portion and storing a secondary authentication key for authenticating the secondary part;
• a memory suitable for storing a primary authentication key for authenticating the primary portion;
• at least one secondary processing block;
• and
• at least one primary processing block suitable for sequentially booting, when the memory system is powered on, itself and the at least one secondary processing block respectively by authenticating the encrypted boot image through the primary and secondary authentication keys, decrypting the authenticated boot image and driving the decrypted boot image,
• wherein the booted primary and secondary processing blocks controls the memory system according to firmware in the decrypted boot image.