Digest Authentication is described as more secure because the password is what?

Digest Authentication is described as more secure because the password is what?

• A. Password is encrypted
• B. Password is stored in cleartext
• C. Biometric is used
• D. Passwords are hashed

Answer: (A)

Digest authentication protects the password by never sending it in plaintext. When a server challenges, the client responds with a value derived from a hash that combines the username, realm, password, and a nonce provided by the server. The server, which stores or can compute the same hash, verifies the response without ever receiving the actual password. This means the password isn’t transmitted or exposed to eavesdroppers. Hashing is a one-way operation, unlike encryption, which is reversible with a key. Therefore, the idea captured here is that passwords are hashed, not encrypted or stored in cleartext.

Digest authentication protects the password by never sending it in plaintext. When a server challenges, the client responds with a value derived from a hash that combines the username, realm, password, and a nonce provided by the server. The server, which stores or can compute the same hash, verifies the response without ever receiving the actual password. This means the password isn’t transmitted or exposed to eavesdroppers. Hashing is a one-way operation, unlike encryption, which is reversible with a key. Therefore, the idea captured here is that passwords are hashed, not encrypted or stored in cleartext.