An apparatus and method for unilaterally loading a secure operating system within
a multiprocessor environment are described. The method includes disregarding a
received load secure region instruction when a currently active load secure region
operation is detected. Otherwise, a memory protection element is directed, in response
to the received load secure region instruction, to form a secure memory environment.
Once directed, unauthorized read/write access to one or more protected memory regions
are prohibited. Finally, a cryptographic hash value of the one or more protected
memory regions is stored within a digest information repository as a secure software
identification value. Once stored, outside agents may request access to a digitally
signed software identification value in order to establish security verification
of secure software within the secure memory environment.