Patent attributes
Embodiments of an invention for hardware enforced one-way cryptography are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes a processor key location, instruction hardware, and execution hardware. The processor key location is to hold a processor key. The instruction hardware is to receive a first instruction in an instruction set of the processor. The first instruction is to encrypt input data with the processor key and return a handle. The instruction set lacks a second instruction corresponding to the first instruction to decrypt the handle with the processor key to return the input data. The execution hardware is to perform, in response to receipt of the first instruction by the instruction hardware, encryption of the input data with the processor key and to return the handle.