Message authentication with one-way hash functions

ABSTRACT

Fast message integrity and authentication services are much desired in today's high-speed network protocols. Current message authentication techniques are mostly encryption-based which is undesirable for several reasons. In this brief paper, we introduce encryption-free message authentication based entirely on fast one-way hash functions. Two methods are presented and their strength is analyzed. The security of the proposed methods is based on the strength of the underlying one-way hash function.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS
      D.4.6 Security and Protection
          Subjects: Authentication

  E. Data
  E.2 DATA STORAGE REPRESENTATIONS
      Subjects: Hash-table representations

General Terms:
Design, Reliability, Security, Standardization, Theory, Verification