Cryptography

SHA-256

A cryptographic hash function that produces a 256-bit hash value, widely used for data integrity verification.

What is SHA-256?

SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit) is a cryptographic hash function designed by the NSA, part of the SHA-2 family. It produces a 256-bit (32-byte) hash digest.

Properties

  • Deterministic: same input always produces same output
  • Fast computation
  • Pre-image resistant: cannot reverse the hash to find original data
  • Collision resistant: virtually impossible to find two different inputs with the same hash
  • Avalanche effect: small input change causes completely different hash

Use in Danaya

Danaya uses SHA-256 to create unique fingerprints of media files at the moment of capture, enabling future verification of file integrity.

Related Terms

Cryptographic Hash
A fixed-size digital fingerprint produced by a hash function that uniquely identifies data.
Data Integrity
The assurance that data has not been altered or corrupted since its creation.
Hash Function
A mathematical function that maps data of arbitrary size to a fixed-size value.
← Back to Glossary