SSCP · Question #637
SSCP Question #637: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is C: Signature-based MAC (SMAC). Message Authentication Codes provide data integrity and authentication using a shared symmetric key. HMAC (Keyed-Hash MAC) uses a cryptographic hash function combined with a secret key, and is widely standardized. DES-CBC (CBC-MAC) uses a block cipher in CBC mode to produce an au
Question
Which of the following is NOT a known type of Message Authentication Code (MAC)?
Options
- AKeyed-hash message authentication code (HMAC)
- BDES-CBC
- CSignature-based MAC (SMAC)
- DUniversal Hashing Based MAC (UMAC)
Explanation
Message Authentication Codes provide data integrity and authentication using a shared symmetric key. HMAC (Keyed-Hash MAC) uses a cryptographic hash function combined with a secret key, and is widely standardized. DES-CBC (CBC-MAC) uses a block cipher in CBC mode to produce an authentication tag. UMAC (Universal Hashing Based MAC) is a fast, formally analyzed MAC standard. SMAC, or 'Signature-based MAC,' is not a recognized or standardized MAC type. Digital signatures are a separate concept from MACs - signatures use asymmetric keys, while MACs use symmetric keys. SMAC is a fabricated term and does not exist in standard cryptographic literature.
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