On the equivalence of authentication codes and robust (2, 2)-threshold schemes

Abstract In this paper, we show a “direct” equivalence between certain authentication codes and robust threshold schemes. It was previously known that authentication codes and robust threshold schemes are closely related to similar types of designs, but direct equivalences had not been considered in the literature. Our new equivalences motivate the consideration of a certain “key-substitution attack.” We study this attack and analyze it in the setting of “dual authentication codes.” We also show how this viewpoint provides a nice way to prove properties and generalizations of some known constructions.