Aggregate message authentication codes

We propose and investigate the notion of aggregate message authentication codes (MACs) which have the property that multiple MAC tags, computed by (possibly) different senders on multiple (possibly different) messages, can be aggregated into a shorter tag that can still be verified by a recipient who shares a distinct key with each sender. We suggest aggregate MACs as an appropriate tool for authenticated communication in mobile ad-hoc networks or other settings where resource-constrained devices share distinct keys with a single entity (such as a base station), and communication is an expensive resource.