What is hashing in Security+?
D5 · Crypto · CompTIA Security+ SY0-701Hashing is a one-way mathematical function that converts any input into a fixed-length output (called a hash, digest, or fingerprint). Even a tiny change in input produces a completely different hash (avalanche effect).
Common algorithms: MD5 (128-bit, broken — don't use for security), SHA-1 (160-bit, deprecated), SHA-256 / SHA-3 (current standard).
Common algorithms: MD5 (128-bit, broken — don't use for security), SHA-1 (160-bit, deprecated), SHA-256 / SHA-3 (current standard).
Hashing is NOT encryption — you cannot reverse a hash. It proves integrity, not confidentiality. Passwords are stored as hashes (with salt). If two files have the same hash, they are identical.