A method for securely obtaining a control word in a chip set of a receiver, said control word for descrambling scrambled content received by the receiver, the method comprising, at the chip set: receiving a secured version of a chip set load key associated with the chip set, wherein the secured version of the chip set load key is secured to protect the authenticity and confidentiality of the chip set load key, wherein the secured version of the chip set load key comprises an encrypted chip set load key, and a signature based on the chip set load key using a private signature key associated with a conditional access/digital rights management system; obtaining the chip set load key from the secured version of the chip set load key, wherein obtaining the chip set load key from the secured version of the chip set load key comprises: a) verifying the signature using a public signature verification key corresponding to the private signature key associated with the conditional access/digital rights management system, wherein the signature verification key is one of a plurality of public signature verification keys, and b) decrypting the encrypted chip set load key, the method further comprising: receiving a secured version of a virtual control word that is the virtual control word encrypted using the chip set load key from a conditional access/digital rights management client communicably connected to the chip set; obtaining the virtual control word from the secured version of the virtual control word by decrypting the secured version of the virtual control word using the chip set load key; using a first cryptographic function to produce a given output, the given output comprising at least one control word, from an input that comprises the virtual control word and either the plurality of public signature verification keys or one or more values derived from the plurality of public signature verification keys, each signature verification key being associated with a conditional access/digital rights management system, wherein the first cryptographic function has the property that it is infeasible to determine a key pair including a private signature key and a public signature verification key and an input for the first cryptographic function comprising the determined signature verification key or one or more values derived, at least in part, from the determined signature verification key, such that the first cryptographic function produces the given output from the determined input; receiving scrambled content, the scrambled content being content that has been scrambled using the at least one control word; and descrambling the received scrambled content using the at least one control word produced by using the first cryptographic function. receiving a secured version of a chip set load key associated with the chip set, wherein the secured version of the chip set load key is secured to protect the authenticity and confidentiality of the chip set load key, wherein the secured version of the chip set load key comprises an encrypted chip set load key, and a signature based on the chip set load key using a private signature key associated with a conditional access/digital rights management system; obtaining the chip set load key from the secured version of the chip set load key, wherein obtaining the chip set load key from the secured version of the chip set load key comprises: a) verifying the signature using a public signature verification key corresponding to the private signature key associated with the conditional access/digital rights management system, wherein the signature verification key is one of a plurality of public signature verification keys, and b) decrypting the encrypted chip set load key, a) verifying the signature using a public signature verification key corresponding to the private signature key associated with the conditional access/digital rights management system, wherein the signature verification key is one of a plurality of public signature verification keys, and b) decrypting the encrypted chip set load key, receiving a secured version of a virtual control word that is the virtual control word encrypted using the chip set load key from a conditional access/digital rights management client communicably connected to the chip set; obtaining the virtual control word from the secured version of the virtual control word by decrypting the secured version of the virtual control word using the chip set load key; using a first cryptographic function to produce a given output, the given output comprising at least one control word, from an input that comprises the virtual control word and either the plurality of public signature verification keys or one or more values derived from the plurality of public signature verification keys, each signature verification key being associated with a conditional access/digital rights management system, wherein the first cryptographic function has the property that it is infeasible to determine a key pair including a private signature key and a public signature verification key and an input for the first cryptographic function comprising the determined signature verification key or one or more values derived, at least in part, from the determined signature verification key, such that the first cryptographic function produces the given output from the determined input; receiving scrambled content, the scrambled content being content that has been scrambled using the at least one control word; and descrambling the received scrambled content using the at least one control word produced by using the first cryptographic function.