The Secretary of Commerce approves FIPS 198, The Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC), and makes it compulsory and binding on Federal agencies for the protection of sensitive, unclassified information. FIPS 198 is an essential component of a comprehensive group of cryptographic techniques that government agencies need to protect data, communications, and operations. The Key-Hashed Message Authentication Code specifies a cryptographic process for protecting the integrity of information and verifying the sender of the information. This FIPS will benefit federal agencies by providing a robust cryptographic algorithm that can be used to protect sensitive electronic data for many years.