Apparatus for handling bills and/or coins, and method for initializing and operating such an apparatus

An apparatus for handling bills and/or coins, comprising:

• a control unit;
• a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the control unit;
• a hard disk connected to the control unit;
• and
• a data encryption key configured for encrypting useful data to be stored on the hard disk;
• wherein the control unit is configured to:
• detect the peripheral devices,
• read from each of the peripheral devices a respective piece of identification information that explicitly denotes the respective peripheral device,
• generate for the peripheral devices a respective key encryption key on the basis of the read pieces of identification information,
• store encrypted data encryption keys that can be generated by encrypting the data encryption key using the respective key encryption key, in a memory area of the hard disk,
• ascertain the data encryption key by decrypting the encrypted data encryption keys using the respective key encryption key, and
• encrypt useful data to be stored on the hard disk in encrypted form using the data encryption key or decrypt useful data that are stored on the hard disk in encrypted form using the data encryption key
• permit access to the encrypted useful data that are stored on the hard disk only when the data encryption key can be ascertained from a preset minimum number of encrypted data encryption keys, the minimum number being at least equal to 2 and less than the number of stored encrypted data encryption keys.