ISC2 Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP) Practice Question

A hardware-based root of trust can securely store a device-unique key pair that signs the initial bootloader and verifies a digital signature on every subsequent stage, including over-the-air or clinical updates. Because the processor will only execute code whose signature matches a trusted root certificate, attackers cannot install or run malicious firmware-even if they have physical access. Merely encrypting firmware (distractor) protects confidentiality but not authenticity; an attacker who learns or replaces the key could still run altered code. Requiring multifactor authentication controls who may start an update but does not validate the code itself. Simple CRC checks detect random corruption, not deliberate tampering, because they are not cryptographically strong. Therefore, incorporating a hardware root of trust that enforces signature verification is the most effective measure for both secure boot and secure update.