This object reports which packet-authentication, or integrity-checking, algorithm, such as HMAC-SHA1 or HMAC-MD5, this remote-access session uses to detect tampering or corruption in transit, distinct from the payload encryption algorithm reported separately. It matters because encryption alone does not guarantee packet integrity; a weak or deprecated authentication algorithm like HMAC-MD5 leaves a session more vulnerable to certain tampering attacks even if its encryption cipher itself is strong. An admin auditing session security posture would flag any session still using MD5-based packet authentication for migration to a stronger algorithm, independent of what encryption cipher that same session is using.