Which of the following is one of the primary and direct characteristics of a Digital Signature ?

The correct answer is Authenticity.

Key Points

• A digital signature is a cryptographic mechanism used to ensure the authenticity of digital messages or documents.
• Authenticity ensures that the message or document has been created and sent by the claimed sender, preventing impersonation or forgery.
• Digital signatures use asymmetric encryption, involving a pair of keys: the private key (used by the sender to sign the document) and the public key (used by the recipient to verify the signature).
• By verifying the digital signature, the recipient can be confident that the document has not been tampered with and that it originated from the intended sender.
• Digital signatures are widely used in secure email communication, software distribution, financial transactions, and other areas requiring trust and integrity.

Additional Information

• While digital signatures also provide some level of confidentiality and security, their primary purpose is to ensure authenticity and integrity.
• They help to prevent replay attacks by including timestamps, ensuring that the message is recent and not reused maliciously.
• Digital signature algorithms include RSA, DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm), and ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm).
• Digital signatures are legally recognized in many countries and are used in electronic contracts and government processes.