Patent ID: 7499545

Claim:
A system comprising: a data processor; a memory coupled to the data processor, the memory for storing code for: establishing a set of encrypted links between a peripheral device and a software component, wherein establishing a first encrypted link of the set of encrypted links includes generating a first encryption key associated with a first port of encrypted data and establishing a second encrypted link of the set of encrypted links includes generating a second encryption key associated with a second port of encrypted data; a hardware controller for outputting the first and the second encrypted links, wherein the hardware controller includes: a first register for storing information associated with the first encryption key; a second register for storing information associated with the second encryption key; a cipher component for: receiving a single digital data stream; applying the first encryption key to a first portion of the data stream; and applying the second encryption key to a second portion of the data stream; and a de-multiplexing component for splitting the single data stream into multiple data streams.