What is a Hash Function? A quick look into different Hash Functions

Hash Functions

Hash functions have become essential to maintain data integrity, security and authenticity. The functionality of a hash function is to accept the input data (could be a simple message, file or data in any other format) and to generate a string with fixed length of characters (which is called as Hash). Technically, Hash functions are more similar to mathematical algorithms. 

This hash value is unique for the specific input, Any simple change in the input would result in generating completely a different hash. This makes the hash functions essential for different applications such as password storage, digital signatures, message authentication and data integrity verification. 

Below are some of the key properties that every hash function should contain. 

• Deterministic - Hash function should always return the same hash for the same input. 
• Fixed Output Size - Hash function should return a hash which is of fixed length, irrespective of the input size. 
• Preimage Resistance - Original input should never be able to be determined any sort of computation on the hash. 
• Collision Resistance - Hash function should ideally not generate the same hash for two different inputs. 

There are different hash functions available, and one has to consider several factors based on the need while determining which hash function to be used. 

• Security - Hash function should be able to withstand any preimage attaches and/or collision attacks. 
• Performance - Hash function should be fairly faster even for the large amounts of input data. Both Security and performance are to be considered. 
• Standardization and Interoperability - Hash function should undergo considerable amount of analysis, scrutiny and standardization processes. To ensure interoperability and compatibility with various existing applications and cryptographic protocols. 

Below are the various Hash functions available. 

• MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5)
• SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1) 
• SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit)
• SHA-3 (Secure Hash Algorithm 3)

There are many other hash functions available apart from the ones listed above. Let's have a look at each of these hash functions in brief. 

MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5)

MD5 is one of the popular hash function developed in 1991 by Ronald Rivest. This function produces a hash value of 32 character hexadecimal value (128 bits). MD5 accepts inputs of different sizes and transforms them into fixed size hash values. 

Some of the primary advantages of MD5 algorithm are it's speed and support. 

• MD5 is considerably fast and efficient, which makes it suitable for application which requires hash generation fairly faster. 
• MD5 is supported by different programming languages and platforms, this makes it easy to implement. 

There are some disadvantages as well when it comes to using MD5, due to which this algorithm has been not suggested to use for any cryptographic purposes. 

• Collision vulnerability - It has been proved that MD5 is vulnerable to collision and researchers have demonstrated, where two inputs generated same hash value. 
• Possibility of preimage attacks - It is suspected to be possible to get the original message based on the hash value. 

Various other hash functions like SHA-256 and SHA-3 have been developed to address these issues and are suggested to be used. More details on the MD5 hash function can be found here. 

SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1)

SHA-1 was developed in 1995 by National Security Agency (NSA). This function produces a hash value of 40 character hexadecimal value (160 bits). SHA-1 accepts inputs of different sizes and applies a series of mathematical operations to generate the hash value of fixed size. 

Like MD5, SHA-1 also has some security concerns.

• Collision vulnerability - Researchers have demonstrated that SHA-1 is prone to collision vulnerability by generating same hash value for two different inputs using SHA-1. 
• With increased availability of computational power, it has become more vulnerable for attacks and considered less secure. 

Even though SHA-1 has considered to be less secure, it is still used in some of the legacy systems. These need to be migrated over to more secure hash functions. 

SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit)

SHA-256 is part of the SHA-2 family of hash functions. It was developed in 2001 by National Security Agency. This is more of an upgraded version of SHA-1 and addressing the vulnerabilities present in SHA-1. This function produces a hash value of 64 character hexadecimal value (256 bits). 

There have been significant improvements to SHA-256 compared to it's previous version. 

• Increased security - Properties of SHA-256 are considerably stronger and is resistant to collision attacks, preimage attacks and other vulnerabilities (which were observed on it's previous version). 
• Robust Hash Function - It's hash value is unpredictable and provides a high degree of resistance against collision attacks. This makes it suitable for use in various applications.

Due it's security, SHA-256 has been widely used in different domains (such as blockchain technology, digital signatures, password storage and secure communication protocols). 

Even though SHA-256 is considered to be one of the stronger hash function, this is still vulnerable to some of the attacks (some of them has not been proved yet practically. 

• With the advancement in the cryptanalysis, SHA-256 could potentially be vulnerable to collision attacks like it's previous version (nothing has been proved yet). 
• With the advancements in quantum computing, they could potentially reach to the maturity level where it could break the mathematical principles SHA-256 relies on. 

There are some more possible vulnerabilities that SHA-256 could be exposed to in future.

SHA-3 (Secure Hash Algorithm 3)

As the name states, SHA-3 is the third iteration of the SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) family, It was designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This was designed to address the vulnerabilities found in the older versions. 

Below mentioned are some of the key features of SHA-3 hash function. 

• Different output sizes - SHA-3 provides a framework that allows generation of different output sizes (like SHA-3-224, SHA-3-256, SHA-3-384, SHA-3-512. last 3 digits represents the size of hash value generated in bits). This offers flexibility to users to select the appropriate hash size as per the requirement. 
• Security - SHA-3 provides high level of security against the various cryptographic attacks (like collision attacks, preimage attacks and various other known vulnerabilities). 
• Unlike it's previous version (SHA-2 family), SHA-3 uses a different internal structure called 'Keccak sponge construction'. this allows a high security and resistance to attacks. 

These features of SHA-3 offers enhanced security, performance efficient and makes this a future-proof algorithm. 

SHA-3 has been used in some of the cryptocurrency and blockchain networks, Hardware, IoT security, Digital signatures and Key derivation. 

Other Hash Functions

Below mentioned are the few other hash functions available. 

• Blake2 - This is considered as one of the high performance hash functions as this provides high level of security and excellent performance. It's simplicity, speed and security makes it suitable for digital signatures, password hashing and checksum verification. 
• Whirlpool - Whirlpool produces a 128 character hexadecimal hash value (512 bits) and provides high level of security and resistant to various known vulnerabilities. This is commonly used in digital forensics, data integrity checks and secure password storage which requires strong hash function. 

Hash functions available are not limited to the ones named in this post, there are many other hash functions available. 

Key Parameters to consider

There are some key parameters to consider while choosing a hash function. 

• Security Strength 
• Performance and Efficiency
• Standardization and Interoperability
• Future proofing 

Apart from these, application specific requirements are to be taken into consideration while choosing a hash function. 

I hope this post has provided a good insight on what is a hash function and different hash functions available in brief.

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What is Cryptography? An Introduction to Secure Communication

Cryptography

In the modern era where most of the data is transferred digitally, secure communication has come more critical than ever as there is increased frequency of security breaches around the data. Securing the information against unauthorized access is not only required by law but also crucial in maintaining customer trust for any organization. 

Cryptography comes to the rescue here and play an important role in securing the data. Cryptography is a practice of secure communication with the use of algorithms to encrypt the data and maintain data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. This encrypted data would only be accessible to the authorized participants. 

As mentioned above, Below are the three primary objectives of cryptography. 

1. Confidentiality - Making sure that the data is not accessible to any third parties who are not authorized. 
2. Integrity - Preventing the data from any unauthorized modifications. 
3. Authenticity - Validating if the data is received from the authorized sender. 

Types of Cryptography

Primarily cryptographic techniques can be classified into two different categories. 

1. Symmetric Cryptography
2. Asymmetric Cryptography

Symmetric Cryptography

Symmetric cryptography is also known as secret-key cryptography. This is because of the use of a single key for encryption and decryption of the message. The secret key used for encryption and decryption is shared between the sender and the recipient. This key must be kept confidential to prevent unauthorized access.

Below is the brief about the encryption process, key distribution and examples of symmetric cryptography.

• Encryption Process: In symmetric cryptography, the plaintext message is transformed into ciphertext using an encryption algorithm and the shared secret key. The ciphertext can only be converted back to plaintext using the same secret key.
• Key Distribution: One of the significant challenges in symmetric cryptography is securely distributing the secret key to all parties involved. If the key is compromised or falls into the wrong hands, the security of the communication is compromised.
• Examples of Symmetric Algorithms: Some popular symmetric encryption algorithms include Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Data Encryption Standard (DES), and Triple DES (3DES).

Asymmetric Cryptography

Asymmetric cryptography is also known as public-key cryptography. This utilizes a pair of related keys: a public key and a private key. The public key is widely distributed and accessible to anyone, while the private key is kept confidential.

Below is the brief about the encryption process, key distribution and examples of asymmetric cryptography.

• Encryption Process: In asymmetric cryptography, the sender uses the recipient's public key to encrypt the message. The encrypted message, or ciphertext, can only be decrypted using the corresponding private key, which is known only to the recipient.
• Key Distribution: Asymmetric cryptography eliminates the need for secure key distribution. Each user has their own unique key pair, and the public keys can be freely shared with others. This enables secure communication with any user possessing the corresponding private key.
• Examples of Asymmetric Algorithms: Popular asymmetric encryption algorithms include RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman), Diffie-Hellman, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC).

Use cases of Cryptography

There are various use cases of Cryptography, Below are the few use cases to list.

1. Hash Functions
2. Message Digests
3. Digital Signatures

Let's have a look at each of these cases in brief.

Hash Functions

Hash functions are fundamental cryptographic tools that take an input message of any length and produce a fixed-size output, known as the hash value or hash digest.

Hash functions are primarily used for data integrity verification. They ensure that even a minor change in the input message will result in a significantly different hash value.

Below are some of the properties that a hash functions contains.

• Deterministic: Given the same input, a hash function always produces the same hash value.
• Quick Computation: Hash functions should be computationally efficient to calculate the hash value.
• Pre-image Resistance: It should be computationally infeasible to determine the original input message from its hash value.
• Collision Resistance: It should be unlikely to find two different input messages that result in the same hash value.

Message Digests

Message digests are the resulting hash values generated by hash functions. They serve as unique fingerprints of the original input messages. Let's have a look at the role of message digests in ensuring data integrity.

• Data Integrity Verification: By comparing the hash digest of a received message with the originally transmitted hash value, one can determine if the message has been tampered with during transmission.

• Fixed-Size Output: Hash functions produce a fixed-size hash value, regardless of the input message's size. This makes them suitable for verifying the integrity of large files or streams.

• Commonly Used Hash Functions: Various hash functions are used in practice, including SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1), SHA-256, SHA-3, and MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5). However, it's important to note that MD5 and SHA-1 are considered to have security vulnerabilities and are no longer recommended for cryptographic purposes.

Digital Signatures

Digital signatures combine asymmetric cryptography and hash functions to provide integrity, authenticity, and non-repudiation of digital documents. Let's have a look at the key aspects of digital signatures.

• Signing Process: To create a digital signature, the sender uses their private key to sign a hash digest of the message. This creates a unique signature that can only be verified using the sender's public key.

• Signature Verification: The recipient of the digitally signed message can verify the integrity and authenticity of the message by:

  • Obtaining the sender's public key from a trusted source.
  • Calculating the hash digest of the received message.
  • Verifying the digital signature using the sender's public key.

• Non-Repudiation: Digital signatures provide non-repudiation, meaning that the sender cannot deny having sent the message, as the signature can be verified using their public key.

Examples of Cryptography

Cryptography plays a vital role in various real-world applications, ensuring secure communication, data privacy, and protection against unauthorized access. Let's take a look at some of the areas where cryptography is applied.

Secure Messaging and Email Communication

• End-to-End Encryption: Cryptography is employed to secure messaging platforms and email services, enabling end-to-end encryption. This ensures that only the intended recipients can read the messages, protecting the privacy and confidentiality of communications.
• Forward Secrecy: Cryptographic protocols like Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) are used to provide additional security by generating unique session keys for each communication session. This prevents the compromise of a single encryption key from affecting past or future communications.

E-Commerce and Online Banking

• Secure Transactions: Cryptography ensures secure online transactions, protecting sensitive financial information such as credit card details, account numbers, and passwords. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols utilize cryptographic algorithms to encrypt data during online transactions.
• Payment Systems: Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, rely on cryptographic techniques to secure digital transactions, validate ownership, and prevent double-spending.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Secure Communication

• VPN Encryption: Virtual Private Networks use cryptography to create secure tunnels for transmitting data over public networks. Encryption protocols like IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) and OpenVPN ensure the confidentiality and integrity of network communication.
• Secure Remote Access: Cryptographic techniques enable secure remote access to networks, protecting sensitive corporate data and ensuring that only authorized individuals can access network resources.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

• Content Protection: Cryptography is used to protect digital content, such as movies, music, and e-books, from unauthorized copying or distribution. Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems employ encryption and access control mechanisms to safeguard copyrighted material.

Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies

• Blockchain Security: Cryptography is at the core of blockchain technology, ensuring the integrity and immutability of distributed ledgers. Hash functions, digital signatures, and consensus algorithms work together to secure transactions and prevent tampering.
• Cryptocurrencies: Cryptocurrencies rely on cryptographic algorithms to secure transactions, maintain anonymity, and enable secure ownership and transfer of digital assets.

These are just a few examples of how cryptography is applied in real-world scenarios. From secure messaging to online transactions and blockchain technology, cryptography provides the foundation for secure and trusted communication and transactions in the digital realm.

I hope this post has provided a good insight on Cryptography.

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