Which protocol is designed for simple, lightweight file transfer with no authentication by default?

• A. Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)
• B. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
• C. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
• D. Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)

Answer: (A)

This question tests understanding of how different file transfer protocols handle authentication and simplicity. Trivial File Transfer Protocol is designed to be minimal and lightweight, providing basic read and write operations with no authentication or encryption by default. Its use of UDP keeps overhead down, making it ideal for simple transfers in trusted environments like network bootstrapping or firmware updates. In contrast, FTP requires user credentials to access files, HTTP is primarily for web content with optional authentication, and SFTP provides secure transfer over SSH with strong authentication. So the protocol built for simple, no-authentication-by-default file transfer is Trivial File Transfer Protocol.