An apparatus providing for a secure execution environment, comprising: a microprocessor, comprising: one or more execution units, configured to execute non-secure application programs and a secure application program, wherein said non-secure application programs are accessed from a system memory via a system bus, and wherein said secure application program is executed in a secure execution mode; a cryptographic unit; a processor key register, coupled to said cryptographic unit, configured to store a cryptographic key that is unique to said microprocessor, wherein said cryptographic key is employed to encrypt said secure application program for storage, and wherein said processor key register can only be read by said cryptographic unit; and a watchdog manager, configured to dynamically monitor physical and operating environments of said microprocessor by noting and evaluating data communicated by a plurality of monitors, and configured to classify said data to indicate a security level associated with execution of said secure application program, and configured to direct secure execution mode logic within said microprocessor to perform responsive actions in accordance with said security level, wherein said plurality of monitors operates independently of execution of said secure application program; and a secure non-volatile memory, coupled to said microprocessor via a private bus, configured to store said secure application program, wherein said secure application program is encrypted in system memory according to an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm, and wherein, upon enablement of said secure execution mode, said cryptographic key is employed by said cryptographic unit to encrypt said secure application program according to a symmetric key algorithm and said secure application program is transferred to said secure non-volatile memory over said private bus. a microprocessor, comprising: one or more execution units, configured to execute non-secure application programs and a secure application program, wherein said non-secure application programs are accessed from a system memory via a system bus, and wherein said secure application program is executed in a secure execution mode; a cryptographic unit; a processor key register, coupled to said cryptographic unit, configured to store a cryptographic key that is unique to said microprocessor, wherein said cryptographic key is employed to encrypt said secure application program for storage, and wherein said processor key register can only be read by said cryptographic unit; and a watchdog manager, configured to dynamically monitor physical and operating environments of said microprocessor by noting and evaluating data communicated by a plurality of monitors, and configured to classify said data to indicate a security level associated with execution of said secure application program, and configured to direct secure execution mode logic within said microprocessor to perform responsive actions in accordance with said security level, wherein said plurality of monitors operates independently of execution of said secure application program; and a secure non-volatile memory, coupled to said microprocessor via a private bus, configured to store said secure application program, wherein said secure application program is encrypted in system memory according to an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm, and wherein, upon enablement of said secure execution mode, said cryptographic key is employed by said cryptographic unit to encrypt said secure application program according to a symmetric key algorithm and said secure application program is transferred to said secure non-volatile memory over said private bus. one or more execution units, configured to execute non-secure application programs and a secure application program, wherein said non-secure application programs are accessed from a system memory via a system bus, and wherein said secure application program is executed in a secure execution mode; a cryptographic unit; a processor key register, coupled to said cryptographic unit, configured to store a cryptographic key that is unique to said microprocessor, wherein said cryptographic key is employed to encrypt said secure application program for storage, and wherein said processor key register can only be read by said cryptographic unit; and a watchdog manager, configured to dynamically monitor physical and operating environments of said microprocessor by noting and evaluating data communicated by a plurality of monitors, and configured to classify said data to indicate a security level associated with execution of said secure application program, and configured to direct secure execution mode logic within said microprocessor to perform responsive actions in accordance with said security level, wherein said plurality of monitors operates independently of execution of said secure application program; and a secure non-volatile memory, coupled to said microprocessor via a private bus, configured to store said secure application program, wherein said secure application program is encrypted in system memory according to an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm, and wherein, upon enablement of said secure execution mode, said cryptographic key is employed by said cryptographic unit to encrypt said secure application program according to a symmetric key algorithm and said secure application program is transferred to said secure non-volatile memory over said private bus.