In computer security, hash functions are critical to ensure the integrity of the transmission and recording of information that demands a high degree of safety.
Hash functions are used in actions such as online bank payments, secure storage of our passwords, signing documents, and in cryptocurrencies as a technique to avoid the falsification of transactions and prevent dangerous activities.
A hash function is a cryptographic technique that converts any input (text or numbers) into a series of fixed-length characters using a mathematical algorithm.
To obtain a hash function, a cryptographic operation is performed that generates unique and unrepeatable identifiers from a given information.
One of the best-known practical hashes is SHA, which was developed by the NSA in 1993 to authenticate electronic documents. Sha-256 is of particular interest because it is the foundation of the technology that makes Bitcoin possible. SHA-256 hashes are so complex that their security is still guaranteed. For SHA-256, for example, current supercomputers are estimated to take thousands of years to crack its security
For example, SHA-256 has a length of 64 characters; as a result, the hash is irreversible; we know the information at the start, but we cannot know what the original information is after we have formed the hash.
I leave you the link if you want to try to generate your own SHA-256 hashes
https://passwordsgenerator.net/sha256-hash-generator/
The creation of a pizza is a basic everyday illustration of this procedure. Each pizza component would be the equivalent of a data entry. The method of coding such data (ingredients) using the function would be the process of creating and baking the pizza.
Finally, we have a pizza with distinct and unrepeatable properties owing to the components. The reverse procedure (returning the cake to its original component condition) is nearly hard to predict.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, hashes can be used to generate passwords. When you create a password on the Internet, it is saved as a hash algorithm and is stored securely in the database, so that if someone were to enter the database, they would be unable to obtain your password easily.
Features of hash functions
- Simple to compute (the hashing process must be simple).
- Comprehensible (regardless of the content all hashes have a fixed string).
- Avalanche-like process (any change would generate a different chain.
- Excellent tolerance to collisions (referring to the difficulty of knowing the hash information).
- Non-reversible (you can know the result but not the initial one).
Summary, although understanding what a hash code is and how it is formed is simple, the technology that enables it is extremely complicated and the result of many years of effort.
Do you want to discover more about this environment of blockchain and cryptocurrencies? Follow me and don’t miss the next episode.
