Patent ID: 7194443

Claim:
A method for protecting a security module comprising the steps of: storing security relevant data in a non-volatile memory of a security module and inserting said security module in a device motherboard; monitoring proper insertion of said security module on said device motherboard with a first function unit and a second function unit in said security module; signaling at least one security-related status of said security module with said first function unit; in said monitoring of proper insertion, detecting a status indicating at least one of improper use and improper replacement of said security module with said second function unit and, upon a detection of said status indicating at least one of said improper use and said improper replacement, said second function unit causing said security-relevant data to be erased; in said monitoring of proper insertion, monitoring a continued existence of said status with said second function unit and detecting, with said second function unit, when said status no longer exists; when said second function unit detects that said status no longer exists, initiating re-initializing, with said first function unit, any erased, security-relevant data; and after said re-initializing, enabling each of said first function unit and said second function unit to re-commission said security module.