Basic Hash Types Used in the Market Today. Hash functions are employed to ensure data integrity, secure information, verify data authenticity, and enhance performance in data search and retrieval processes.
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Definition: What is a Hash ?
Hash (also known as a hash function) is a term in computer science and cryptography. It refers to the process of converting data into a hash value (hash value) through a specific function, and this process is called “hashing”.
The main purpose of a hash function is to generate a unique numerical code for input data so that any small change in the input data will produce a different hash value.
Hash functions are commonly used in various applications such as data integrity checks, secure password storage, data authentication, and in algorithms for searching and sorting data. Popular hash functions include MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512.
What is a cryptographic hash function?
A cryptographic hash function is a crucial tool in the fields of cryptography and information security. The primary goal of a cryptographic hash function is to generate a unique type of hash function with the highest possible value from input data. It should be practically infeasible for an adversary to find the input based on the hash value alone. Cryptographic hash functions must meet the following basic requirements:
Any surveillance: Cannot rely on hash value to find the root data or other data with the same hash value.
Randomness: Every minor change in input data should produce a distinct hash value.
Collision resistance: Ensures that finding two inputs with the same hash value is practically infeasible or very difficult.
Common cryptographic hash algorithms include MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512. However, some of these have been found to have poor security qualities and are not considered safe for cryptographic requirements.
Common Hash Functions Summary
MD5
MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5) is one of the most widely used hash algorithms. It generates a 128-bit (16-byte) hash value from input data of any length.
As of now, MD5 is no longer considered secure for important cryptographic applications due to numerous security vulnerabilities that have been discovered. Specifically, finding two inputs with the same hash value has become quite easy with the advancement of technology and modern computing power. This raises concerns about MD5’s collision resistance and compromises the algorithm’s safety in complex applications.
Some applications may use MD5 to generate checksums to check the integrity of files or in cases where high security is not required. However, in some cases, using MD5 can pose security risks. Therefore, hash algorithms like SHA-256 or SHA-512 are preferred due to their higher security and reliability.
SHA-1
SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1) is one of the most widely used cryptographic hash functions in practice. Designed by the United States National Security Agency (NSA), SHA-1 generates a 160-bit (20-byte) hash value from input data of any length.
SHA-1 has been used in various applications to authenticate passwords for digital signatures and to check the integrity of files to protect information in network environments.
However, since 2010, SHA-1 is no longer considered secure due to numerous security vulnerabilities that have been discovered, reducing the algorithm’s reliability in combating modern-day attacks. Specifically, research has demonstrated the ability to find collisions in the process of generating hash values with a reasonable level of computation.
While there are still some applications integrating SHA-1, in many cases, it is not effective. This underscores the preference for stronger hash functions like SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 due to their higher security and reliability.
SHA-2
SHA-2 (Secure Hash Algorithm 2) is a cryptographic hash algorithm designed by the United States National Security Agency (NSA) and first published in 2001. SHA-2 has developed into several different versions with varying hash value lengths, including SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, SHA-512/224, and SHA-512/256. Each version generates a hash value with a different bit length depending on specific characteristics.
The algorithms within SHA-2 are designed to increase security levels and avoid violations, thus making it computationally infeasible to find two inputs with the same hash value. Among them, SHA-256 and SHA-512 are considered secure and widely used in many information security applications today.
SHA-256 generates a 256-bit (32-byte) hash value, while SHA-512 generates a 512-bit (64-byte) hash value. Generally, SHA-256 and SHA-512 provide higher security levels compared to older hash algorithms like MD5 and SHA-1.
Although SHA-2 is still considered secure for most applications, with the advancement of computing technology, SHA-3 has been developed to enhance security and resilience. Depending on the application requirements, SHA-2 remains a strong and secure choice for many information security applications today.
The basic applications of Hash
Hash is used for various important functions in the fields of computer science and information security. Here are some key applications of using Hash:
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Data integrity verification: Hash is commonly used to verify the integrity of data. By generating a Hash value for the original data, users can use this Hash value to check if the data has been altered. Any changes to the input data will result in a different Hash value.
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Password security: In the security field, Hash is often used to securely store passwords. Instead of storing passwords directly, systems store the Hash value of the password. When users enter their password, the system generates a Hash value from the entered password and compares it with the stored Hash value for authentication.
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Data authentication: During data transmission over a network, Hash is used to authenticate the integrity of the data. By sending along the Hash value of the data, the receiving party can check if the data has been transmitted without alteration.
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Data search and sorting: Hash values are also used for searching and sorting data in large databases. These Hash values can help improve performance in data retrieval and searching.
In conclusion, you have now addressed the question of what Hash is after following the article. Hopefully, you have understood the characteristics and effective usage of hash functions. Choose the appropriate type of hash for your work to maximize its value.
list of coins that use hash functions like SHA-1, SHA-512, MD5, and SHA-2
SHA-1
SHA-1 is not widely used in blockchain systems due to its known security vulnerabilities. Hash algorithms in blockchain must ensure a high level of security, and SHA-1 does not meet this requirement. Therefore, no popular coins use SHA-1 as their main hashing algorithm.
SHA-512
SHA-512 is part of the SHA-2 family, and some coins use SHA-512 or its variants:
- Siacoin (SC): Siacoin uses the Blake2b hashing algorithm, which has variants that can support SHA-512 outputs in some cases.
- Zcash (ZEC): Zcash uses both SHA-256 and SHA-512 for key generation and other security-related functions.
MD5
MD5 is also not widely used in blockchain systems due to similar security issues as SHA-1. MD5 has been deemed insecure and unsuitable for applications requiring high reliability like blockchain. Therefore, no popular coins use MD5 as their main hashing algorithm.
SHA-2
SHA-2 includes variants like SHA-256 and SHA-512. Coins that use SHA-256 have already been listed in the previous response. Below is a list of coins using SHA-512 (mentioned) and SHA-2 (including SHA-256):
Bitcoin(BTC): Bitcoin uses SHA-256.- Bitcoin Cash (BCH): Bitcoin Cash uses SHA-256.
- Bitcoin SV (BSV): Bitcoin SV uses SHA-256.
- Namecoin (NMC): Namecoin uses SHA-256.
- Litecoin (LTC): Litecoin uses a modified version of SHA-256 called Scrypt, but it is still related to SHA-2.
- Zcash (ZEC): Zcash uses both SHA-256 and SHA-512 for key generation and other security-related functions.
Other coins may use different or customized hash functions in their specific systems and processes. The choice of hash function depends on the security and performance requirements of each specific blockchain.
