An electronic system (1400) includes a processor (1422, 2610) having a pipeline, a bus (2655) coupled to the pipeline, a storage (1435, 1440, 2650) coupled to the bus (2655), the storage (1435, 2650) having a real time operating system (RTOS) and a real-time application, a non-real-time operating system (HLOS), a secure environment kernel (SE), and a software monitor (2310); and protective circuitry (2460) coupled to the processor and operable to establish a first signal (VP1_Active) and a second signal (NS) each having states and together having combinations of the states representing a first category (2430) for the real-time operating system and the real-time application, a second category (2420) for the non-real-time operating system, and a third category (2450) for the secure environment kernel.