Which algorithm is described as the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) used in the Digital Signature Standard (DSS) and adopted as FIPS 186?

Which algorithm is described as the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) used in the Digital Signature Standard (DSS) and adopted as FIPS 186?

• A. RSA
• B. HMAC
• C. Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA)
• D. ECDSA

Answer: (C)

DSA is the digital signature algorithm specified in the Digital Signature Standard (DSS) and adopted as FIPS 186. It’s a public-key signature method designed around discrete-logarithm math, producing a signature from a private key and a per-message hash, which can then be verified with the corresponding public key. This exact pairing—DSA as defined in DSS and formalized by FIPS 186—is what the standard calls for when it talks about a digital signature algorithm. RSA, HMAC, and ECDSA play different roles. RSA is another public-key signature system, not the one defined by the DSS as the standard for FIPS 186. HMAC is a keyed-hash message authentication code, not a digital signature. ECDSA is the elliptic-curve variant of the same conceptual family as DSA, but the question refers to the original DSA described in DSS and adopted as FIPS 186, not its elliptic-curve form.

DSA is the digital signature algorithm specified in the Digital Signature Standard (DSS) and adopted as FIPS 186. It’s a public-key signature method designed around discrete-logarithm math, producing a signature from a private key and a per-message hash, which can then be verified with the corresponding public key. This exact pairing—DSA as defined in DSS and formalized by FIPS 186—is what the standard calls for when it talks about a digital signature algorithm.

RSA, HMAC, and ECDSA play different roles. RSA is another public-key signature system, not the one defined by the DSS as the standard for FIPS 186. HMAC is a keyed-hash message authentication code, not a digital signature. ECDSA is the elliptic-curve variant of the same conceptual family as DSA, but the question refers to the original DSA described in DSS and adopted as FIPS 186, not its elliptic-curve form.