Ethical Hacking: Techniques, Tools, and Countermeasures, 4th Edition

Hashing

Although encryption tends to be the starting point in the cryptography family, other types of cryptographic algorithms are available that support security. A one-way hashing function is a type of cryptographic algorithm that is used to provide integrity and nonrepudiation. Such functions are designed to be relatively easy to compute in one direction but extremely difficult to reverse. Hashing is designed to provide a unique data fingerprint that will materially change if the input value changes. This feature of hash functions makes them useful in detecting data alteration or tampering. Hashed values or message digests, often just called a hash, are the result of a variable amount of data being mapped onto a fixed-length field. Hashes ...