Secure integrated circuit chip apparatus and method of secure integrated circuit chip apparatus

In one embodiment, a secure chip apparatus, includes a memory to store an encrypted value E and a one-way function output-value H, which is an output value of a one-way function computed with a nonce N as input, an interface to transfer data with an external device, and chip security circuitry to lock a portion of the chip apparatus from use, receive an unlock request from an unlocking hardware security module (HSM) via the interface, provide the encrypted value E to the HSM responsively to the unlock request, receive a value N′ from the HSM, the value N′ being a decrypted value of the encrypted value E, compute a one-way function output-value H′ responsively to the value N′, compare the value H′ to the value H, and unlock the portion of the chip apparatus for use responsively to a match between the value H′ and the value H.