Patent ID: 7957536

Claim:
A method for the secure transmission of a new key from a key location to a cryptography module which comprises, for this purpose, a key memory which can be written to and, in addition, a further key memory for a private key, said method having the following steps: a device number for the cryptography module and a key pair comprising a private key and a public key are generated in a secure environment for an asymmetrical encryption method, the private key is transmitted to the cryptography module and the public key is stored in a secure database under the device number; the key location reads a first data record, which contains the device number and is signed using the private key, from the cryptography module and transmits it to the secure database; the secure database determines the public key with the aid of the device number uses said key to check the signature of the data record containing the device number and sends the public key back to the key location; the key location generates a setting data record, which contains the new key and is encrypted using the public key of the cryptography module, and sends this setting data record to the cryptography module; the cryptography module decrypts the setting data record, checks the redundancy contained therein and sets the new key.