Secure data storage

A computer implemented method, executable on a processor, the method comprising:

• receiving in an apparatus including the processor a message from an application server that uses the apparatus for protecting data associated with a plurality of independent users from unauthorized access, the message comprising data received by the application server from another device, the message comprising data associated with one of the plurality of independent users;
• carrying out in the processor an operation on the information stored in the memory, in response to the message, the information comprising data associated with the plurality of independent users, wherein the information is kept secure from unauthorized access, the operation comprising comparing data based on the received data against the secure data stored in the memory;
• and
• providing a response to the application server based on the comparison, wherein the operation is one out of limited number of pre-determined operations that the processor of the apparatus can carry out on information in the memory,
• the processor not providing the secure data stored in the memory to the application server,
• the processor configured not to respond to a request to extract the secure data from the memory via the interface,
• the processor configured so as always not to respond to an attempt to re-program the processor at run-time, and
• the processor arranged to operate on a memory configured to store information associated with a plurality of independent users, wherein the memory is a non-transitory storage medium, wherein the memory comprises flash memory organized as a hash table for storing secure data, the flash memory being organized as a single uniform space of blocks, each of which accommodates a user profile.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor, the instructions executable to cause the processor to:

• (i) receive and interpret a message received via an interface from an application server configured to use an apparatus comprising the processor to protect data associated with a plurality of users, the message comprising data received by the application server from another device, the message comprising data associated with one of the plurality of independent users;
• (ii) carry out a limited number of predetermined operations on the memory storing the information comprising data associated with the plurality of users wherein the information is kept secure from unauthorized access, wherein the limited number of operations comprise comparing data based on the received data against secure data stored in memory;
• and
• (iii) provide a response back to the application server, via the interface, based on results of operations of the limited number of predetermined operations, wherein the limited number of operations do not include returning secure data to the application server,
• (iv) not respond to a request to extract the secure data from the memory via the interface, and
• (v) not respond to an attempt to re-program the processor at run-time.
• wherein the processor arranged to operate on a memory configured to store information associated with a plurality of independent users, wherein the memory is a non-transitory storage medium, wherein the memory comprises flash memory organized as a hash table for storing secure data, the flash memory being organized as a single uniform space of blocks, each of which accommodates a user profile.