A method for checking the integrity of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising: - a secure element, capable of storing and managing data and onto which a public key has been loaded, intended for verifying an electronic signature, - a processor configured to collaborate with the secure element, and - a means of storing data comprising a memory whose entire content has been previously authenticated during an initial authentication step and the integrity of which can be verified by means of the public key, the memory comprising code executable by the processor, wherein the checking method comprises: in response to a request from the processor, the secure element performs, on the content of the memory of the data storage means received via the processor, an authentication check step of the entire memory content, in order to verify using the public key that its content has not been modified since its initial authentication, the device being considered to be integral by the secure element when the authentication check has been successful, wherein the method is characterised in that: the secure element has in memory a reference time interval T which is chosen to be less than the maximum time required for the secure element to retrieve via the processor the entire content of the memory to be authenticated, and wherein the authentication check step of the memory comprises the following successive steps which are repeated by the secure element until the entire content of the memory has been received: - the secure element addresses to the data storage means, via the processor, a request to receive one or more sequences of data extracted from its memory, - the secure element identifies the time which elapses between sending the request and receipt of the sequence or sequences requested, and compares this with the reference time interval T, and - if the elapsed time is greater than interval T, the secure element refuses to authenticate the memory content of the data storage means and interrupts execution of the subsequent steps of the integrity check procedure. - a secure element, capable of storing and managing data and onto which a public key has been loaded, intended for verifying an electronic signature, - a processor configured to collaborate with the secure element, and - a means of storing data comprising a memory whose entire content has been previously authenticated during an initial authentication step and the integrity of which can be verified by means of the public key, the memory comprising code executable by the processor, wherein the checking method comprises: in response to a request from the processor, the secure element performs, on the content of the memory of the data storage means received via the processor, an authentication check step of the entire memory content, in order to verify using the public key that its content has not been modified since its initial authentication, the device being considered to be integral by the secure element when the authentication check has been successful, wherein the method is characterised in that: the secure element has in memory a reference time interval T which is chosen to be less than the maximum time required for the secure element to retrieve via the processor the entire content of the memory to be authenticated, and wherein the authentication check step of the memory comprises the following successive steps which are repeated by the secure element until the entire content of the memory has been received: - the secure element addresses to the data storage means, via the processor, a request to receive one or more sequences of data extracted from its memory, - the secure element identifies the time which elapses between sending the request and receipt of the sequence or sequences requested, and compares this with the reference time interval T, and - if the elapsed time is greater than interval T, the secure element refuses to authenticate the memory content of the data storage means and interrupts execution of the subsequent steps of the integrity check procedure. - the secure element addresses to the data storage means, via the processor, a request to receive one or more sequences of data extracted from its memory, - the secure element identifies the time which elapses between sending the request and receipt of the sequence or sequences requested, and compares this with the reference time interval T, and - if the elapsed time is greater than interval T, the secure element refuses to authenticate the memory content of the data storage means and interrupts execution of the subsequent steps of the integrity check procedure.