You have been assigned the task of selecting a hash algorithm.
The algorithm will be specifically used to ensure the integrity of certain sensitive files.
It must use a 128 bit hash value.
Which of the following should you use?
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.C.
Out of the given options, SHA is the recommended hash algorithm for ensuring the integrity of sensitive files.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric encryption algorithm, which is not suitable for ensuring file integrity. AES is used for encrypting data to ensure confidentiality, not for creating hash values.
MD5 (Message Digest 5) is a hash algorithm that was commonly used in the past, but it is now considered insecure due to various vulnerabilities. It is not recommended to use MD5 for any security-related purpose.
DES (Data Encryption Standard) is also a symmetric encryption algorithm, which is not suitable for creating hash values. It is used for encrypting data to ensure confidentiality, not for ensuring integrity.
SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) is a widely used cryptographic hash algorithm, designed to create a fixed-length hash value of 128, 256, 384, or 512 bits. SHA-1 was commonly used in the past, but it is now considered insecure due to various vulnerabilities. SHA-2 is currently the recommended algorithm and provides better security than SHA-1.
Therefore, to ensure the integrity of sensitive files with a 128-bit hash value, SHA-2 is the recommended hash algorithm.