Method of configuring a terminal (10a) by means of a device external to said terminal (50a) able to communicate with said terminal and comprising data storage means, the initialization of said terminal triggering at least: a step for executing a boot program of an operating system of said terminal, said boot program being stored in a first memory area of said storage means, a step for verifying, by the boot program, a first digital signature of a first file stored in a second memory area of said storage means, said first file comprising a kernel of an operating system of said terminal, a step for starting up said kernel, said startup step being intended to be triggered only if said digital signature is valid.