Understanding Cryptographic Hashing
A cryptographic hash function converts any input data into a fixed-length output (the hash or digest). Hash functions are one-way — you cannot reverse a hash to get the original input. This makes them fundamental to password storage, data integrity verification, and digital signatures.
Common Hash Algorithms
- MD5 — Fast but broken for security purposes. Use only for non-security checksums.
- SHA-1 — Deprecated for security use. Avoid in new systems.
- SHA-256 / SHA-512 — Current standard. Used in SSL/TLS, Bitcoin, and most modern security applications.