Patent ID: 7757295

Claim:
A gatekeeper circuit in an integrated circuit package for securing a secured circuit in the integrated circuit package, the gatekeeper circuit comprising: a security key value register configured to store a security key value required for authorized access to the secured circuit; counting logic for indicating a number of unauthorized attempts to access the secured circuit; control logic coupled to the security key value register and coupled to the counting logic wherein the control logic is adapted to receive a comparison key from a device in the integrated circuit attempting to access the secured circuit and wherein the control logic is adapted to deny access to the secured circuit based upon an unauthorized attempts count derived from the counting logic and/or based on a comparison of the comparison key with the security key value, wherein the counting logic comprises: a one-time programmable register comprising a plurality of one-time programmable bit values; and shifting logic coupled to the one-time programmable register and coupled to the control logic and configured to set a next unprogrammed one-time programmable bit value in response to a signal from the control logic.