This application provides a communication method and apparatus, to resolve a problem that security is low when a tag is triggered to perform random access in a communication network. The method includes: receiving first signaling, and determining, based on the first signaling, a second mask stored at a first storage location; and performing random access when a first mask matches the second mask. The first signaling indicates the first storage location and the first mask, the first signaling carries a first mask identifier, and the first mask identifier identifies the first storage location and/or the first mask. In embodiments of this application, a correspondence between a mask identifier and a storage location and/or a correspondence between the mask identifier and a mask are/is negotiated in advance, so that a part or all of masks and storage locations can be implicitly indicated by using a mask identifier.