1. A method comprising: receiving a first read request for a first instruction stored at a first address of un-protected memory space, wherein accesses to unprotected memory are not selectively allow or prevent read requests based upon whether the read requests are operand requests; receiving, at a memory controller, a second read request for a first operand stored at a second address of protected memory space, wherein protected memory space does selectively allow or prevent read requests based upon whether the read requests are operand requests; and allowing, by the memory controller, the second read request in response to meeting at least one criteria selected from the group of criteria consisting of: comparing the first address to the second address, and determining based upon the comparison that the second read request being within a predefined distance of the first address; and receiving an indicator at the memory controller from a source of the second read request that a specific addressing mode was used to calculate the second address; otherwise preventing the second read request, by the memory controller, in response to not meeting at least one of the criteria.