Masking a hardware boot sequence

A data processing system comprising:

• a plurality of processors, wherein the plurality of processors comprises a boot processor and at least one non-boot processor;
• a
• boot code storage device coupled to the boot processor;
• and
• a masking code storage device coupled to the non-boot processors,
• wherein each processor of a plurality of processors of the data processing system is configured to attempt to decrypt encrypted boot code, wherein only a boot processor within the plurality of processors is able to successfully decrypt the encrypted boot code,
• wherein responsive to the boot processor being able to successfully decrypt the encrypted boot code, the boot code is executed on the boot processor to thereby boot the data processing system to an operational state, and
• wherein responsive to at least one non-boot processor within the plurality of processors failing to successfully decrypt the encrypted boot code, the at least one non-boot processor executes the masking code to generate at least one of electromagnetic or thermal signatures that mask the execution of the boot code on the boot processor.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable storage medium having a computer readable program stored thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a data processing system, causes the data processing system to:

• attempt, in each processor of a plurality of processors of the data processing system, to decrypt encrypted boot code, wherein only a boot processor within the plurality of processors is able to successfully decrypt the encrypted boot code;
• responsive to the boot processor being able to successfully decrypt the encrypted boot code, execute a boot code sequence on the boot processor to thereby boot the data processing system to an operational state;
• and
• responsive to at least one non-boot processor within the plurality of processors failing to successfully decrypt the encrypted boot code, execute a masking code sequence in each of the at least one non-boot processor to generate at least one of electromagnetic or thermal signatures that mask the execution of the boot code sequence on the boot processor.