What is a primary benefit of using digital signatures?

A primary benefit of using digital signatures is that they verify the authenticity and integrity of digital communications. Digital signatures utilize cryptographic techniques to provide a means of determining whether a message has come from a specific sender (authentication) and whether it has been altered in any way during transmission (integrity).

When a sender signs a document digitally, they create a unique hash of the document content, which is then encrypted with their private key. When the recipient receives the document, they can decrypt the signature using the sender's public key, allowing them to compare the decrypted hash with their own computation of the hash from the received document. If both hashes match, it confirms both the sender's identity and that the document has not been tampered with.

The other options do not accurately describe the primary function of digital signatures. While encryption does play a role in the overall process involving digital signatures, it is not their main function. Digital signatures do not eliminate the need for encryption in all cases, as encryption may still be necessary for ensuring confidentiality. Additionally, digital signatures do not provide complete anonymity, as they are designed to establish a clear link between the signer and the document, rather than masking the identity of the sender.