Patent ID: 7853997

Claim:
A method for controlling access to a target memory, the method comprising: configuring a plurality of memory protection regions in a target memory of a system and automatically assigning a security priority level to each of the memory protection regions, the system comprising a plurality of system initiators, wherein the configuring comprises defining a first initiator group with a first set of access attribute combinations and a second initiator group with a second set of access attribute combinations for each memory protection region of the plurality of memory protection regions, wherein the first and second initiator groups comprise one or more of the plurality of system initiators; receiving a memory access request from a system initiator of the plurality of system initiators, the memory access request comprising an address in the target memory and a combination of access attributes; executing a security violation response if the address is in a first memory protection region and a second memory protection region of the plurality of memory protection regions and the security priority level of the first memory protection region is the same as the security priority level of the second memory protection region; if the address is in a first memory protection region of the plurality of memory protection regions, allowing the memory access request if the system initiator is in the first initiator group of the first memory protection region and the combination of access attributes is in the first set of access attribute combinations of the first initiator group; and allowing the memory access request if the system initiator is in the second initiator group of the first memory protection region and the combination of access attributes is in a second set of access attribute combinations of the second initiator group.