Hashing

• Hashingis a cryptographic techniques used in

information security to ensure data integrity,
authenticity, and non-repudiation.

• Hashing is a process of taking input data and generating a fixed-

size string of characters, known as a hash value or digest.

• The hash function takes the input data and applies a

mathematical algorithm to produce the hash value, which is
unique to the input data. ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• Hash functions are designed to be one-way,
meaning it is computationally infeasible to derive the
original input data from the hash value.

• Hashing is commonly used for various purposes, such as

password storage, data integrity, verification, and
digital forensics.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• It allows for quick and efficient comparison of data
without revealing the original content.

• Key characteristics of hashing include:

ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• 1- One-Way Function: Hash functions are designed to be
one-way, meaning it is computationally infeasible to
reverse-engineer the original input data from the hash
value.

• Given the same input, the hash function will always produce the
same hash value.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• 2- Fixed Output Size: Hash functions
generate a fixed-length hash value, regardless
of the size of the input data.

• For example, the SHA-256 hash function produces a 256-bit

(32-byte) hash value.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• 4- Collision Resistance: A good hash function should
have a low probability of producing the same hash
value for different input data.

• This property is known as collision resistance and ensures

that it is highly unlikely (uncommon) for two different inputs
to produce the same hash value.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• 5- Wide Range of Applications: Hashing has numerous
applications/ usage in information security.

• Some common uses include password storage (storing

hashed passwords instead of plaintext), data integrity
checking, digital signatures, checksums, and data
fingerprinting.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• Popular hash functions include MD5 (Message Digest 5),
SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1), and SHA-256 (Secure
Hash Algorithm 256- bit).

• However, it's important to note that older hash functions like

MD5 and SHA-1 are considered weak and are not
recommended for security-critical applications due to known
vulnerabilities.
ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• Popular hash functions include MD5 (Message Digest 5),
SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1), and SHA-256 (Secure
Hash Algorithm 256- bit).

• However, it's important to note that older hash functions like

MD5 and SHA-1 are considered weak and are not
recommended for security-critical applications due to known
vulnerabilities.
ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• There are severalpowerful hashingalgorithms used in
information security to ensure the integrity and security of
data.

• Here are some notable examples:

ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit): It is a
widely used cryptographic hash function that belongs to
the SHA-2 family (SHA- 224, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512,
SHA-512/224, and SHA-512/256).

• It generates a 256-bit hash value and is known for its

resistance to cryptographic attacks.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• SHA-512: SHA-512 is considered the strongest hashing
algorithm in terms of its cryptographic strength and
resistance to brute-force attacks, also belongs to SHA-2
family.

• It generates a 512-bit hash value, which provides a larger

output size compared to other algorithms in the SHA-2
family.
ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• SHA-3(Secure Hash Algorithm 3): It is the
latest member of the Secure Hash Algorithm
family.

• It includes hash functions such as SHA-3-224, SHA-3-256,

SHA-3-384, and SHA-3-512.

• SHA-3 algorithms are designed to

provide better resistance against
ArfanShahzad.c
 Hashing cont…
• Argon2: It is a memory-hard hashing algorithm that won the
Password Hashing Competition in 2015.

• It is designedto be resistant againstGPU-based attacks

and offers strong security for password hashing applications.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
• Digital signatures are cryptographic mechanisms used to
provide authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation of
digital documents or messages.

• They ensure that the sender of the message is

verified, and any
alterations to the message can be detected.

• Here are some key points about digital signatures:

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• 1- Authentication: Digital signatures verify the identity of the
sender or signer of a digital document.

• They use public key cryptography to associate a unique

digital signature with the signer's identity.

• The recipient can use the correspondingpublic key to verify the

signature and confirm the authenticity of the sender.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• 2- Integrity: Digital signatures ensure the integrity of the digital
document by detecting any modifications or tampering.

• The signatureis calculatedbased on the content of the document,

and even a small change in the document will result in a different
signature.

• This allows the recipient to verify that the document has not been
altered since it was signed.
ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• 3- Non-Repudiation: Digital signatures provide non-
repudiation, meaning the signer (sender) cannot deny their
involvement in signing the document.

• The recipient (receiver) can prove the authenticity of the

signature and the document, preventing the signer from later
claiming that they did not sign it.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• 4- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): Digital signatures often
rely on a public key infrastructure, where a trusted third
party, known as a Certificate Authority (CA), issues
digital certificates that bind a person's identity to their public
key.

• This enables the recipient to verify the authenticity of the

signer's public key and establish trust in the digital signature.
ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• 5- Application in Document Signing and
Authentication: Digital signatures have various
applications, including secure document signing,
authentication in online transactions, secure email
communication, and software distribution.

• They provide a means to establish trust and ensure the

integrity of digital information.
ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• To create a digital signature, the sender uses their private
key to encrypt a hash value of the document.

• The recipient can then use the sender's public key to

decrypt the signature and compare it with a computed hash
value of the received document.

• If the two values match, the signature is considered valid.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• Here are some of the top secure digital signature
algorithms:
well
• RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman): RSA is a -
widely usedand established
• It offers strong security based on the difficulty of factoring
algorithm for digital signatures.
large numbers.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm): ECDSA
is a widely adopted digital signature algorithm that
uses elliptic curve cryptography.

• It offers strong security with shorter key lengths, making it

efficient for resource-constrained environments.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• EdDSA (Edwards-curve Digital Signature Algorithm):
EdDSA is a modern digital signature algorithm that
provides strong security and efficient signing and
verification processes.

• It is based on elliptic curve cryptography and is gaining

popularity in various applications.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• Schnorr Signature: Schnorr Signature is
a secure digital signature algorithm known for its
simplicity and efficiency.

• It offers strong security and has advantages in terms of

key aggregation and multisignature schemes.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm): DSA is a widely
used digital signature algorithm, particularly in the context of
the Digital Signature Standard (DSS).

• It provides strong security when implemented correctly.

ArfanShahzad.c
 Digital Signatures
cont...
• Digital Signatures play a crucial role in ensuring the
integrity and authenticity of digital documents, providing a
reliable mechanism for verifying the identity of the sender
and detecting any modifications to the content.

ArfanShahzad.c