Nepal Agricultural Research Council2080 BSQuestion 6 of 10
Differentiate between Firmware and Cache Memory. Discuss the ways of securing computer system against security threats.
10 marks
Question source
- Exam year
- 2080 BS / 2023 AD
- Level
- Level 5 (T-5, Prabidhik, Computer Sahayak)
- Paper
- D-3 – Subjective
- Section
- Section C
Model answer
Firmware vs Cache:
| Basis | Firmware | Cache |
|---|---|---|
| What | Software in ROM/Flash chip | Ultra-fast SRAM near CPU |
| Purpose | Low-level hardware control (BIOS) | Holds frequent data for speed |
| Volatile? | No — survives power off | Yes — cleared on off |
| Example | UEFI, router firmware | L1/L2/L3 CPU cache |
Firmware = instructions in chip; Cache = fast pocket memory.
Securing against threats (threat → safeguard): Malware → updated antivirus + USB scan; phishing → spam filter + OTP never shared; hacking → patching + firewall/IDS; DoS → rate limiting; insider → roles + logs; eavesdropping → HTTPS; plus offline backup with restore test and ETA-2063-signed docs. Layered defence — no single tool suffices.