Secure storage architectures for computing devices

A method comprising:

• storing, by a non-volatile memory system external to a processor, a first cryptographic signature as a current cryptographic signature and first data;
• responsive to any write request, including a first write request, to write updated data to at least a portion of the non-volatile memory:
• storing, by a memory controller, the updated data in the non-volatile memory along with at least a portion of the first data to create second data;
• generating, based on the second data, and by the memory controller, a second cryptographic signature that always differs from the first cryptographic signature;
• storing, by the memory controller, the second cryptographic signature as the current cryptographic signature;
• and
• outputting, responsive to the first write request, to the processor, and by the memory controller, the current cryptographic signature as a reference signature,
• wherein the memory controller always replaces the current cryptographic signature, with cryptographic properties, whenever the non-volatile memory is written to and does not otherwise permit writing the current cryptographic signature.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-volatile memory system external to the processor, the non-volatile memory system comprising:
• a non-volatile memory adapted to store a first cryptographic signature as a current cryptographic signature and first data;
• and
• a memory controller configured, responsive to any write request, including a first write request, to write updated data to at least a portion of the non-volatile memory, to:
• store the updated data in the non-volatile memory along with at least a portion of the first data to create second data;
• generate, based on the second data, a second cryptographic signature that always differs from the first cryptographic signature;
• store the second cryptographic signature as the current cryptographic signature;
• and
• output, responsive to the first write request and to the processor, the current cryptographic signature as a reference signature,
• wherein the memory controller always replaces the current cryptographic signature, with cryptographic properties, whenever the non-volatile memory is written to and does not otherwise permit writing the current cryptographic signature.