Processor with a configurable distribution of privileged resources and exceptions between protection rings

A method for managing protection rings in a processor, the method comprising:

• programming an ownership table for attributing exceptions or privileged resources to protection rings;
• when the processor triggers an event signaling an exception or an access to a privileged resource in a less privileged ring than the one programmed for the privileged resource, processing the event by a handler running in a protection ring allocated to the exception or privileged resource;
• and
• finding in the ownership table the protection ring allocated to the exception or privileged resource.