Abstract: A system for authenticating digital files includes an electronic device having means for handling digital files. The electronic device has a unique, hard encoded, device identifier. The system further includes a security key for interacting with the electronic device, the security key having a unique, hard encoded, key identifier. The electronic device further includes means for verifying a predetermined key-to-device association of the key identifier to the device identifier, means for refusing access to the electronic device upon unsuccessful key-to-device association verification, and means for associating both the device identifier and the key identifier with at least one of the handled digital files.