Message authentication
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In information security, message authentication or data origin authentication is a property that a message has not been modified while in transit (data integrity) and that the receiving party can verify the source of the message.cite-ref-cse207-1-0[1]
Contents
• See also
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Description
Message authentication or data origin authentication is an information security property that indicates that a message has not been modified while in transit (data integrity) and that the receiving party can verify the source of the message.cite-ref-cse207-1-1[1] Message authentication does not necessarily include the property of non-repudiation.cite-ref-hac-2-0[2]cite-ref-msdn-3-0[3]
Techniques
Message authentication is typically achieved by using message authentication codes (MACs), authenticated encryption (AE), or digital signatures.cite-ref-hac-2-1[2] The message authentication code, also known as digital authenticator, is used as an integrity check based on a secret key shared by two parties to authenticate information transmitted between them.cite-ref-4[4] It is based on using a cryptographic hash or symmetric encryption algorithm.cite-ref-5[5] The authentication key is only shared by exactly two parties (e.g. communicating devices), and the authentication will fail in the existence of a third party possessing the key since the algorithm will no longer be able to detect forgeries (i.e. to be able to validate the unique source of the message).cite-ref-vacca-6-0[6] In addition, the key must also be randomly generated to avoid its recovery through brute-force searches and related-key attacks designed to identify it from the messages transiting the medium.cite-ref-vacca-6-1[6]
Some cryptographers distinguish between "message authentication without secrecy" systems – which allow the intended receiver to verify the source of the message, but they don't bother hiding the plaintext contents of the message – from authenticated encryption systems.cite-ref-7[7] Some cryptographers have researched subliminal channel systems that send messages that appear to use a "message authentication without secrecy" system, but in fact also transmit a secret message.
Related concepts
See also
References
cite-note-cse207-11. ↑ citerefmihir-bellareMihir Bellare. "Chapter 7: Message Authentication" (PDF). CSE 207: Modern Cryptography. Lecture notes for cryptography course. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
cite-note-hac-22. ↑ citerefalfred-j-menezespaul-c-van-oorschotscott-a-vanstoneAlfred J. Menezes; Paul C. van Oorschot; Scott A. Vanstone. "Chapter 9 - Hash Functions and Data Integrity" (PDF). Handbook of Applied Cryptography. p. 361. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
cite-note-msdn-33. ↑ "Data Origin Authentication". Web Service Security. Microsoft Developer Network. 14 July 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
cite-note-88. ↑ citerefpirandolaandersenbanchiberta2020Pirandola, S.; Andersen, U. L.; Banchi, L.; Berta, M.; Bunandar, D.; Colbeck, R.; Englund, D.; Gehring, T.; Lupo, C.; Ottaviani, C.; Pereira, J. (2020). "Advances in Quantum Cryptography". Advances in Optics and Photonics. 12 (4): 1012–1236. arXiv:1906.01645. Bibcode:2020AdOP...12.1012P. doi:10.1364/AOP.361502. S2CID 174799187.