An apparatus (100, 200) comprising: an application-specific circuit (120, 220) configured to perform a certain set of activities according to a programmed configuration, and to receive, while a nonvolatile memory circuit (110, 210) comprising the programmed configuration is in a write-protection state and while access to an external network data-access circuit (150, 250) is enabled, an indication that an updated configuration is appropriate; a recovery circuit including a circuit-based retrieval module to download, in response to an indication that an update configuration is not downloaded for installation, the update configuration provided via the external network data-access circuit while the nonvolatile memory circuit is in the write-protection state, and to permit execution of a reset mode after the update is downloaded, and a circuit-based install module to cause, in response to an indication that the update configuration is downloaded for installation, the downloaded updated configuration to be installed in the nonvolatile memory circuit while access to the external network data-access circuit is disabled, and to permit execution of the reset mode after the update is installed, the apparatus further comprising: a reset-and-boot circuit (130, 230) to, in response to the indication, execute reset and boot the application-specific circuit while access to an external network data-access circuit is disabled, and, in response to the indication, to cause the application-specific circuit to operate to perform a certain set of activities according to the updated configuration, which overrides the programmed configuration previously programmed into the nonvolatile memory circuit (110, 210). an application-specific circuit (120, 220) configured to perform a certain set of activities according to a programmed configuration, and to receive, while a nonvolatile memory circuit (110, 210) comprising the programmed configuration is in a write-protection state and while access to an external network data-access circuit (150, 250) is enabled, an indication that an updated configuration is appropriate; a recovery circuit including a circuit-based retrieval module to download, in response to an indication that an update configuration is not downloaded for installation, the update configuration provided via the external network data-access circuit while the nonvolatile memory circuit is in the write-protection state, and to permit execution of a reset mode after the update is downloaded, and a circuit-based install module to cause, in response to an indication that the update configuration is downloaded for installation, the downloaded updated configuration to be installed in the nonvolatile memory circuit while access to the external network data-access circuit is disabled, and to permit execution of the reset mode after the update is installed, the apparatus further comprising: a reset-and-boot circuit (130, 230) to, in response to the indication, execute reset and boot the application-specific circuit while access to an external network data-access circuit is disabled, and, in response to the indication, to cause the application-specific circuit to operate to perform a certain set of activities according to the updated configuration, which overrides the programmed configuration previously programmed into the nonvolatile memory circuit (110, 210).