A memory module includes one or more programmable ECC engines that may be programed by a host processing element with a particular ECC implementation. As used herein, the term “ECC implementation” refers to ECC functionality for performing error detection and subsequent processing, for example using the results of the error detection to perform error correction and to encode corrupted data that cannot be corrected, etc. The approach allows an SoC designer or company to program and reprogram ECC engines in memory modules in a secure manner without having to disclose the particular ECC implementations used by the ECC engines to memory vendors or third parties.