CAS-004 Security Engineering Practice Question
An IoT device manufacturer wants to ensure secure firmware updates. Which approach best protects against malicious firmware being installed on devices?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Digitally sign the firmware with a private key
Code signing with a trusted key ensures only authorized firmware can be installed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Digitally sign the firmware with a private key
Why this is correct
Digital signatures provide authenticity and integrity.
- ✗
Compress the firmware to reduce size
Why it's wrong here
Compression does not provide security.
- ✗
Use a hash of the firmware for integrity verification
Why it's wrong here
Hash alone does not verify authenticity.
- ✗
Encrypt the firmware with a symmetric key
Why it's wrong here
Encryption provides confidentiality, not authenticity.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAS-005 exam.