COMPUTER NETWORKING

Detailed explanation-1: -A message authentication code (MAC ) is similar to a cryptographic hash, except that it is based on a secret key. When secret key information is included with the data that is processed by a cryptographic hash function, the resulting hash is known as an HMAC.

Detailed explanation-2: -Whereas MACs use private keys to enable a message recipient to verify that a message has not been altered during transmission, signatures use a private/public key pair. The CryptographicHash object can be used to repeatedly hash different data without having to re-create the object for each use.

Detailed explanation-3: -A MAC requires two inputs: a message and a secret key known only to the originator of the message and its intended recipient(s). This allows the recipient of the message to verify the integrity of the message and authenticate that the messege’s sender has the shared secret key.

Detailed explanation-4: -A Message Digest is simply a hash of a message. It’s the output of a cryptographic hash function applied to input data, which is referred to as a message. A Message Authentication Code (MAC) is a piece of information that proves the integrity of a message and cannot be counterfeited easily.