TY  - JOUR
T1  - FlexMAC: Security-Enhanced Message Authentication Code (MAC) Based on Generating a Unique Hash Function with an Artificial Neural Network
AU  - Moon, Seongsu 
AU  - Park, Taejune 
JO  - The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/1/1
DO  - 10.7840/kics.2025.50.3.500
KW  - Message Authentication Code (MAC)
KW  - Hash function
KW  - Artificial Neural Network (ANN)
AB  - This paper proposes FlexMAC, which enhances security in a Message Authentication Code (MAC). FlexMAC generates an exclusive authentication key that cannot be duplicated or reproduced, utilizing a uniquely generated hash function with an artificial neural network, thus strengthening the integrity of message authentication and effectively mitigating vulnerabilities in traditional MAC systems. In particular, by generating a new authentication key with a newly created hash function in each MAC session, FlexMAC not only effectively prevents replay attacks—where an attacker attempts to bypass integrity verification by storing and retransmitting the authentication key and messages used in previous communications—but also exponentially increases the cost of rainbow table or dictionary attacks aimed at cracking the authentication key, making such attacks very difficult. These characteristics make FlexMAC capable of securely guaranteeing message integrity in environments requiring high security and are expected to dramatically improve the security level of MAC systems.