A Comprehensive Analysis of the SHA-1 Hash Algorithm: Security Aspects

This assignment analyzes the SHA-1 hash algorithm, a cryptographic hash function that generates a 160-bit hash value. It discusses the algorithm's strengths, such as its relatively fast processing speed and support for data integrity and authentication. The assignment also highlights its weaknesses, including vulnerability to collision attacks and the obsolescence due to larger key sizes and technological advancements. The paper covers the application of SHA-1 in information security, including its use in validating transactions and hashing passwords in databases. It explains why SHA-1 was chosen for the assignment, emphasizing its historical significance and ease of implementation, despite its current limitations. The assignment concludes by referencing several sources for further study.

Running head: HASH ALGORITHM
Hash Algorithm
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

2HASH ALGORITHM
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

3HASH ALGORITHM
based on that which is 160 bytes longer and provides hexadecimal values (Kale &
Dhamdhere, 2018). The integrity of the data can be maintained using this algorithm,
thereby enhancing the information security of the data. Moreover, it is used for the
hashing of the passwords in the databases that are used by companies and organizations.
It is now considered to be obsolete after it has failed to show uniqueness in its hashing
function for enhancing the security.
3. Why the Algorithm is chosen: This is one of the oldest cryptographic algorithms. It has
been in existence since the year 1995 when it was quite useful in hashing different values
and generate a complicated digest which was difficult to hack (Long, 2019). The
algorithm is relatively faster than the other algorithms and can be used for maintaining
the integrity of the data. It can also produce digital signatures which enhances the
security of the information present in the databases. The expense of installation of this
cryptographic hash algorithm is much lesser and it is easy to implement. Hence, this
algorithm is chosen for the assignment.

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References:
Stevens, M., Bursztein, E., Karpman, P., Albertini, A., & Markov, Y. (2017, August). The first
collision for full SHA-1. In Annual International Cryptology Conference (pp. 570-596).
Springer, Cham.
Core, C. (2017). SHA-1.
Long, S. (2019, October). A Comparative Analysis of the Application of Hashing Encryption
Algorithms for MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-512. In Journal of Physics: Conference
Series (Vol. 1314, No. 1, p. 012210). IOP Publishing.
Kale, M. A., & Dhamdhere, S. (2018). Survey Paper on Different Type of Hashing
Algorithm. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, 3(2).