Abstract: An apparatus may include circuitry to permanently and inaccessibly store a first private key that is a shared secret between a manufacturer of the circuitry and a first vendor of first encrypted media information. It may also include a key ladder to provide plural layers of encryption to the first private key to generate a first result for decrypting the first encrypted media information. A cryptographic module may encrypt the first private key to generate a second result for a security purpose other than decrypting media information. The module also may include a key ladder, and the apparatus may include other key ladders using the private key.