A secure access method for use with a communication network which communicates information between an information resource controller and a remote unit comprising a smart card, the method including: identifying, at the remote unit, a command to upload data; employing, in response to said command, a hash function at the remote unit to encode contents of at least a portion of a memory at the remote unit and thereby to produce a hashed result; transmitting the hashed result to the information resource controller; comparing, at the information resource controller, the hashed result with a trusted hashed result maintained at the information resource controller thereby to provide a comparison result; if the comparing produces an unfavorable result, performing at least one of: revoking the remote unit by the information resource controller; and cancelling authorizations to the remote unit; and determining that the at least a portion of the memory at the remote unit has integrity based, at least in part, on the comparison result.