Patent ID: 8321686

Claim:
A security system implemented in a memory card, comprising: a cryptographic engine configured to encrypt and decrypt information in order to safeguard information stored on the memory card; and a secret key in the memory card used for the encryption and decryption, wherein the security system is operative to transition between a testing state, a secure operating state and a bypass state, wherein, in the testing state, the encryption engine is enabled, the secret key is generated upon entering the testing state, testing of firmware in the memory card is enabled, and testing of hardware of the memory card is enabled, wherein, in the secure operating state, the encryption engine is enabled, testing of firmware in the memory card is disabled, testing of hardware of the memory card is disabled, and the secret key is used by the encryption engine to encrypt and decrypt information, and wherein, in the bypass operating state, the encryption engine is disabled, testing of the hardware of the memory card is enabled, testing of the firmware of the memory card is enabled, the bypass operating state being used if operating as a regular memory card, wherein once in the bypass operating state the security system operates the memory card to function as a non-secure memory card and is unable to ever again transition to the secure operating state.