Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) Practice Exam

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Prepare for the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) Exam with tailored questions and study materials to enhance your understanding of ACH transactions and operations. Test your skills and readiness for this important certification!

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What does the Message Authentication Code (MAC) verify in an ACH file?

  1. File completion

  2. File encryption

  3. File authenticity

  4. File transmission speed

The correct answer is: File authenticity

The Message Authentication Code (MAC) serves a critical function in the context of an ACH file by verifying its authenticity. Specifically, the MAC is a short piece of information used to ensure that the data has not been altered in transit and that it originates from a legitimate source. When a MAC is included with an ACH file, it provides assurance that the file's contents are genuine and have not been compromised by unauthorized alterations. This mechanism is pivotal for maintaining the integrity of the transaction data, especially in financial contexts where accuracy and trust are paramount. In contrast, the other options relate to aspects that are not within the purview of a MAC; file completion pertains to whether the file contains all required data, file encryption refers to the security measure of encoding data so that it can only be read by certain parties, and file transmission speed has to do with how quickly the file is sent over the network rather than its content authenticity.