Embodiments of an invention for monitoring the operation of a processor are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and a hardware agent external to the processor. The processor includes virtualization logic to provide for the processor to operate in a root mode and in a non-root mode. The hardware agent is to verify operation of the processor in the non-root mode based on tracing information to be collected by a software agent to be executed by the processor in the root mode.