Digital signatures are used for which purpose in information security?

Digital signatures play a crucial role in ensuring message integrity verification within the realm of information security. When a sender digitally signs a document or message, they create a unique hash of the data combined with their private cryptographic key. This process ensures that any alterations made to the message after it has been signed can be detected. If the message is altered in any way, the hash will not match when the recipient verifies it with the sender's public key.

This mechanism not only confirms that the message has not been tampered with but also authenticates the sender’s identity, as only the sender has access to their private key. Therefore, digital signatures serve as a robust method for verifying both the integrity and authenticity of digital communications, protecting against forgery and tampering.

Other options like data compression, data recovery, and network monitoring do not relate to the primary function of digital signatures, which is focused on authentication and integrity rather than these other functions.