A certification provenance tree (CPT) structure may provide information concerning a layered certification of a device that comprises a hierarchy of components. The CPT structure may include a hierarchy of secure certification provenance document (SCPD) structures. Each SCPD structure in the hierarchy may represent a given component at a given level of the hierarchy of components of the device. Each SCPD structure may include a field that stores a certification proof indicating that security properties of the given component have been certified by a certification authority. An SCPD structure may further include accreditation information fields that store a pointer to an SCPD structure of a component at a next layer of the hierarchy of components of the device. The pointer may provide an indication of assurance that the component at that next layer will perform securely within this component at said given layer.