Cryptographic key distribution
AssigneeNordic Semiconductor ASA
InventorsFrank AUNE, Jean-Baptiste BRELOT
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Abstract
An integrated-circuit device comprises a processor, a hardware key-storage system, and a key bus. The hardware key-storage system comprises a non-volatile key storage memory, which includes a key register, for storing a cryptographic key, and an address register, for storing a destination memory address for the cryptographic key. The hardware key-storage system further comprises output logic for sending the cryptographic key over the key bus to the destination memory address, and write-once logic for preventing an address being written to the address register unless the address register is in an erased state.
Claims20
An integrated-circuit device comprising:
- a processor;
- a hardware key-storage system;
- and
- a key bus,
- wherein the hardware key-storage system comprises:
- a non-volatile key storage memory comprising a key register for storing a cryptographic key and an address register for storing a destination memory address for the cryptographic key;
- output logic for sending the cryptographic key over the key bus to the destination memory address;
- and
- write-once logic for preventing an address being written to the address register unless the address register is in an erased state.
A method of operating an integrated-circuit device, the integrated-circuit device comprising:
- a processor;
- a hardware key-storage system;
- and
- a key bus,
- wherein the hardware key-storage system comprises a non-volatile key storage memory comprising a key register that stores a cryptographic key and an address register that stores a destination memory address for the cryptographic key,
- the method comprising the hardware key-storage system:
- receiving an instruction to write a new destination memory address to the address register;
- determining that the address register in not in an erased state;
- and
- in response to said determining, preventing the writing of the new destination memory address to the address register.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.