Patent ID: 8392714

Claim:
A method for protecting data, the method comprising: maintaining, in a controller, a control parameter indicative of a current version of data, the controller including a kernel in Read-Only Memory (ROM); partitioning, with the controller, the data into multiple segments; computing, with the controller, signatures for the segments of data based on the control parameter, the segments of data and associated signatures forming signed segments of data; storing, with the controller, the signed segments of data in a memory device that is separate from the controller; retrieving from the memory device, with the kernel in the controller, after storing the signed segments of data, a signed segment of data of the signed segments of data; verifying, with the controller, the signature of the retrieved signed segment of data based on the control parameter, wherein the signature of the retrieved signal segment of data is verified independently of any other signed segment of data; and processing data in the retrieved signed segment of data in response to verifying the signature of the retrieved signed segment of data.