INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS WITH REPLACEABLE SECURITY ELEMENT

摘要

A field upgradeable security system deciphers signals received from a communication network. An information processor (10) includes a receptacle for receiving a replaceable security element (12). The replaceable security element generates a working key (WK) necessary to the operation of the information processor. The working key is communicated to the information processor encrypted under a secret key (A(M)). The information processor decrypts the encrypted working key for use in deciphering a received communication signal. Additional layers of encryption (A(C), U(M), U(C)) can be added to the communications between the information processor and security element to increase the level of security.