The invention provides a method, a hardware circuit and a hardware device for enabling a software application to be executed on a hardware device in dependence of the hardware circuit, while preventing the execution of a binary copy of the application in another hardware device. Challenge data originating from the software application is input to a hardware circuit of the hardware device, wherein the hardware circuit is configured to perform a deterministic function. Response data is generated by the hardware device, which is used to manipulate at least a part of the software application to thereby enable the software application to be executed.