Patent ID: 8225087

Claim:
A device having configurable security, comprising: a data memory configured to store configuration information; a cipher engine configured to encrypt data using either a first encryption technique or a second encryption technique, stronger than the first encryption technique, based on the configuration information stored in the data memory, wherein the configuration information initially instructs the cipher engine to encrypt data using the first encryption technique; and a configuration manager configured: (i) to receive a new configuration information via a network connection, the new configuration information indicating whether a server has determined that the cipher engine is authorized by an export compliance authority to use a second encryption technique stronger than the first encryption technique, (ii) to authenticate the new configuration information, and, (iii) if the new configuration information is determined to be authentic and indicates that the server has determined that the cipher engine is authorized by the export compliance authority to use the second encryption technique, to store the new configuration information in the data memory to configure the cipher engine to encrypt data using the second encryption technique.