1) HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code) is a MAC based on a hash function.
2) Uses a secret key and a hash function to produce a fixed-length digest to verify integrity and origin.
3) Security depends on the hash function and key secrecy; considered highly secure.
4) Used for integrity checks and authentication.
Generates HMAC digests (MD5/SHA1/SHA2/SHA3/RIPEMD160) for input text using a secret key.