Patent ID: 8301888

Claim:
A method for authentication of a peripheral in communication with a device, comprising: generating a secure authentication image file comprising; reserving key address locations in a raw memory image file that includes data for an array of regularly spaced locations, wherein the key address locations are non-contiguous and randomly distributed in the array; filling the raw memory image file with test data; and merging secure key data into the key address locations of the raw memory image file, wherein merging the secure key data includes replacing the portion of the test data that is located in the key address locations; storing the secure authentication image file in the peripheral that is to be authenticated by the device; wherein the device concurrently stores multiple plaintext/cyphertext pairs and each pair includes a plaintext string associated with a cyphertext string; and further comprising: transmitting one of the plaintext strings from the device to the peripheral; and the peripheral using the received plaintext string and the secure authentication image file to generate a proposed cyphertext string.