According to one embodiment, an authentication method includes generating, by the memory, first authentication information by calculating secret identification information with a memory session key in one-way function operation, transmitting encrypted secret identification information, a family key block, and the first authentication information to a host, and generating, by the host, second authentication information by calculating the secret identification information generated by decrypting the encrypted secret identification information with the host session key in one-way function operation. The method further includes comparing, by the host, the first authentication information with the second authentication information.