Hash Function

Hash Function Definition

• [i] Hash Function) - (definition:: A function whose numerical value on a data file is used to represent that file and depends on the exact contents of that file) - (subject:: Cybersecurity

Hash Function Example

Generally a hash function is considered to be a "fingerprint" of the file or message. It maps an arbitrary length bit string to a fixed-length bit string.

In this case, the hash function (usually something like SHA-256), converts the text into a fixed-length hexadecimal string of characters. This string represents the unique identifier for that specific piece of data. If even a single character in the original text is changed, the resulting hash will be completely different. This makes it extremely difficult to tamper with data without detection, as any modification would result in a different hash.