Hashing Algorithm: Description, SHA-3 Overview and Comparison

This report provides a comprehensive overview of hashing algorithms, starting with a general description of their function in enhancing data security through encryption. It then delves into the SHA-3 algorithm, detailing its overview, characteristics (such as being a unidirectional function and producing fixed-length output), and requirements. The report highlights the algorithm's limitations in terms of hardware and software support. The core of the report is a detailed comparison of various SHA algorithms, including SHA-1, SHA-2 (with its variants like SHA-256 and SHA-512), and SHA-3, examining their output size, internal state size, block size, and performance metrics like rounds, operations, and security against different attacks. The comparison includes performance on Skylake processors, collision resistance, and extension attacks, offering a thorough analysis of each algorithm's strengths and weaknesses. The report concludes with a list of relevant references.