Firmware Verification Techniques for CompTIA Network+ Exam N10-007

Before upgrading the firmware on several routers, a technician must verify the firmware file received is the same one the vendor provided.

Which of the following should the technician use?

A.

3DES encryption

B.

SSL certificate

C.

Digital signatures

D.

MD5 hash.

D.

The technician needs to verify the authenticity and integrity of the firmware file received from the vendor before upgrading it on several routers. This is important to ensure that the firmware file has not been tampered with or modified during transit, and to prevent the installation of potentially harmful or malicious software.

Out of the given options, the best way to verify the firmware file's authenticity and integrity is by using digital signatures or MD5 hash.

A digital signature is a cryptographic technique that uses a public-key algorithm to create a digital fingerprint of the file. The digital signature is unique to the file, and it is generated by the vendor using their private key. When the technician receives the file, they can use the vendor's public key to verify the digital signature, ensuring that the file has not been tampered with and that it came from the vendor.

MD5 hash, on the other hand, is a message digest algorithm that generates a unique fixed-length value for the file. This value is also known as a hash or checksum. The vendor provides the MD5 hash value for the firmware file, and the technician can generate the MD5 hash value for the received file. If the two values match, it means that the file has not been tampered with and that it is the same file the vendor provided.

Therefore, the best option for the technician to use in this scenario would be digital signatures or MD5 hash to verify the authenticity and integrity of the firmware file received from the vendor.