SHA-256 Agent Verification

Cryptographic integrity checking ensures your monitoring agent hasn't been tampered with.

How Checksums Work

Every version of the Scout agent has a SHA-256 hash computed from its source code. The server stores the expected checksum and verifies it on every update — if the hash doesn't match, the update is rejected.

  • SHA-256 hash of the agent script
  • Server stores the expected checksum
  • Verified on every update cycle
  • Tampered files are automatically rejected
SHA-256 Verification Expected: a1b2c3d4e5f6...8a9b0c1d2e3f Actual: a1b2c3d4e5f6...8a9b0c1d2e3f ✓ Checksum verified — integrity OK

Secure Auto-Updates

Agents check for updates daily by querying the dashboard's agent-version endpoint. If a new version is available, the agent downloads it, verifies the SHA-256 checksum, and only then applies the update. Checksum mismatch? The update is discarded.

  • Daily update check against agent-version API
  • Checksum validated before applying
  • Automatic rollback on mismatch
  • Zero-downtime updates
Auto-Update Flow 1. Check agent-version.php GET 2. Download new agent.sh v2.4 3. Verify SHA-256 checksum ✓ OK 4. Apply update — agent restarted

Unique API Keys

Every server gets its own isolated API key when you add it to Server Scout. Keys can be revoked from the dashboard at any time. No shared secrets — compromising one key doesn't affect other servers.

  • One unique API key per server
  • Keys revocable from the dashboard
  • No shared secrets across servers
  • X-API-Key bearer token authentication
API Keys web-01 sk_a3f2...x8k9 active db-01 sk_b7c1...m4n5 active old-srv sk_d9e0...p2q3 revoked Each server isolated · revoke anytime

HTTPS-Only Communication

All communication between agents and the dashboard is encrypted with TLS. No plaintext metric data ever crosses the network. Certificate validation ensures agents are talking to the real dashboard, not an impersonator.

  • All agent-to-dashboard traffic encrypted
  • No plaintext metric data in transit
  • TLS certificate validation
  • Protection against man-in-the-middle attacks
Agent web-01 POST /ingest Dashboard app.server scout.ie TLS 1.3 Encrypted HTTPS only · Certificate validated

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