Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science

Integrity in encryption is important because it ensures that:

1. The message was sent confidentially.

2. The integrity of the message was not tampered with.

3. The message is delivered in a timely manner.

4. The receiver can access the message anytime.

The correct answer is: The integrity of the message was not tampered with.

Integrity in encryption is crucial because it confirms that the data has not been altered or tampered with during transmission. When a message's integrity is maintained, the recipient can trust that the content received is exactly what the sender intended to communicate. This is typically achieved through techniques such as checksums, hash functions, or digital signatures, which verify that the message remains unchanged from its original form. The other choices focus on different aspects of data security. For instance, confidentiality deals with ensuring that the message is kept secret from unauthorized parties, which is not the same as integrity. Timeliness pertains to the speed or promptness of message delivery, which does not relate to whether the message content has been altered. Lastly, accessibility refers to the ability of the recipient to retrieve or view the message, rather than ensuring that the message's content remains intact. By understanding the importance of integrity, one can appreciate its role in establishing trust and reliability in data communication.