Patent ID: 8332636

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of processing data, the method comprising: decrypting, by a computer, using initialization hardware, an encrypted copy of a secure kernel for storage into memory accessible to a processor datapath, wherein the secure kernel contains secured data comprising a secure kernel cryptographic key, a first sensitive portion and a second sensitive portion, and wherein the first sensitive portion and second sensitive portion are unique; and executing, by the computer, the secure kernel accessed from said memory, wherein the executing includes: validating a digital signature of a vendor-associated cryptographic key using the secure kernel cryptographic key, wherein the vendor-associated cryptographic key is associated with a software vendor; validating a digital signature of an application-associated cryptographic key using the vendor-associated cryptographic key, wherein the application-associated cryptographic key is associated with a software application; determining that the second sensitive portion of the secured data is not required for execution of the software application when the secure kernel cryptographic key is associated with the first sensitive portion; and in response to the determination that the second sensitive portion of the secured data is not required for execution of the software application, deleting the second secure portion of the secured data from the secure kernel prior to execution of the software application.