Performing Hash on File for Comparison with Vendor's Hash

A network technician is planning to update the firmware on a router on the network.

The technician has downloaded the file from the vendor's website.

Before installing the firmware update, which of the following steps should the technician perform to ensure file integrity?

A.

Perform antivirus and anti-malware scans of the file.

B.

Perform a hash on the file for comparison with the vendor's hash.

C.

Download the file a second time and compare the version numbers.

D.

Compare the hash of the file to the previous firmware update.

B.

To ensure the integrity of the firmware update file before installing it on a router, the network technician should perform a hash on the file for comparison with the vendor's hash. This involves generating a unique digital fingerprint of the file using a hash algorithm, such as SHA-256, and comparing it to the hash provided by the vendor. If the hashes match, it indicates that the file has not been tampered with or corrupted during transmission.

Performing antivirus and anti-malware scans of the file may detect any malware or viruses that may be embedded in the file, but it does not necessarily guarantee file integrity or authenticity. It is still important to perform a hash check to ensure that the file has not been modified in any way.

Downloading the file a second time and comparing the version numbers may help to ensure that the correct file has been downloaded, but it does not verify the integrity of the file itself.

Comparing the hash of the file to the previous firmware update may not be useful, as it only verifies that the new firmware is different from the previous one, but it does not ensure that the new firmware is authentic and has not been tampered with.

In summary, performing a hash check on the downloaded firmware update file is the most effective method to verify its integrity and authenticity before installation.