CERTIFIED-IN-CYBERSECURITY · Question #120
Which of these properties is NOT guaranteed by a Message Authentication Code (MAC)? ()
The correct answer is D. Anonymity. A Message Authentication Code (MAC) guarantees Integrity (the message was not altered in transit) and Authenticity (the message came from someone who possesses the shared secret key). It does NOT guarantee Non-repudiation - because both the sender and receiver share the same…
Question
Which of these properties is NOT guaranteed by a Message Authentication Code (MAC)? ()
Options
- AIntegrity
- BAuthenticity
- CNon-repudiation
- DAnonymity
How the community answered
(36 responses)- A6% (2)
- B3% (1)
- D92% (33)
Explanation
A Message Authentication Code (MAC) guarantees Integrity (the message was not altered in transit) and Authenticity (the message came from someone who possesses the shared secret key). It does NOT guarantee Non-repudiation - because both the sender and receiver share the same symmetric key, either party could have generated the MAC, making it impossible to prove who created it (that requires asymmetric digital signatures). Anonymity (D) is entirely outside the scope and design goals of a MAC; it is not a property MACs are intended to provide or claim to provide at all, making it the best answer here.
Topics
Community Discussion
No community discussion yet for this question.