Patent ID: 9143319
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of disabling an authentication device having a secret key used to authenticate a component to a product, the authentication device comprising a logic unit interfaced with a memory that stores the secret key, the authentication device fabricated suitable for being physically secured to the component that is used by the product, the authentication device for communicatively cooperating with the product to authenticate the component to the product, said method comprising: receiving, with the logic unit communicating through a communication interface of said authentication device, a password requesting deletion of the secret key from the memory; initiating deleting, with the logic unit and based on determining that the received password matches a value stored in a first memory of said authentication device, said secret key from said memory of said authentication device preventing said secret key from being used by the authentication device to authenticate a component to a product; preparing, with the logic unit performing cryptographic operations using at least the secret key, an attestation message that indicates said secret key is deleted from said memory of said authentication device, said attestation message comprising information that is cryptographically verifiable that said attestation message was prepared by the logic unit of the authentication device; and deleting, with the logic unit, said secret key from said memory of said authentication device, and outputting through a communication interface of said authentication device said attestation message.