Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to communicating on a communication bus in accordance with a message-based signal protocol. One or more messages are generated with a data field, in which a portion of the data field is reserved for a signature. The signature has a bit length corresponding to a bit length of the reserved portion of the data field. The signature is coded in the portion of the data field reserved for the signature, and at least one message is transmitted with the signature coded therein. Each message received on the communication bus and having a signature coded in a data field therein is authenticated based on the signature, and processed by removing the signature from the data field and decoding the message with the signature removed.
