Different Type of Hashing Algorithm

Running head: HASH ALGORITHM
Hash Algorithm
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Name of the University:
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HASH ALGORITHM
2
SHA-1:
Secure Hash Algorithm or SHA 1 is a cryptographic hash function that produces message
digest by taking an input value and providing a 20 bytes hash value. The number that is
presented as the result of the input that has been made is 40 digits long (Stevens et al., 2017).
The method that is followed by SHA-1 is very similar to the algorithms developed by MD-2,
MD-3 or MD-5; only the resulting value is much longer compared to the other. In this
assignment, we will discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of SHA-1.
1. Strength and weakness: The main advantage of the SHA 1 hash algorithm is the
generation of the larger values, typically digits long, which are complex hexadecimal
numbers. It is a relatively faster cryptographic algorithm. It supports numerous
mechanisms of security which include, authentication of the data and maintaining the
integrity of the data.
Weakness: At present, it is considered to be weak cryptographic security as it is
not sufficient for the larger key sizes. With the advancement of technology, a collision
attack ha become prevalent which produces two similar pdf files with the same digital
signature. This hash function allows two files to have identical values of digest which can
be broken easily as the uniqueness is lost in this case (Core, 2017). The digital
fingerprints developed with the help of this algorithm can be copied; hence the algorithm
cannot be trusted at all.
2. Application in the Field of Information Security:
SHA 1 is one of the old cryptographic algorithms still in use for the validation of
credit cards and other sorts of transactions. It is capable of producing message digest,
which is a form of the cryptographic security that takes an input and generates an output