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You are here: Encyclopedia > Encyclopedia Part 5 > What is SHA Encryption?
What is SHA Encryption?
There are quite a number of cryptographic hash functions that is created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. And, one of these functions is the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA), which corresponds to the Federal Information Processing Standard of the United States of America. SHA encryption is a series of five various cryptographic functions and this presently has three generations: SHA-1, SHA-2, and SHA-3.
The first SHA generation is SHA-1 and it is the fundamental 160-bit hash function. SHA-1 appears similar to the former algorithm MD5. The organization responsible for the establishment of this function is the National Security Agency (NSA) and it has a primary role as a branch of the Digital Signature Algorithm. SHA-1 was commonly used in security protocols like the PGP, TLS, SSH, and SSL.
During the time when it was first released, the producers named their product as “SHA”. However, the product was quickly withdrawn by the company subsequent to the time when it was first published. The main reason for pulling the product off the market is the appearance of an unidentified significant flaw. The creators substituted the first function with a vaguely modified edition of the SHA-1. A retronym was given to the first product, which was withdrawn from the trade, and this was recognized as the SHA-0.
The second generation of the Secure Hash Algorithm is acknowledged with the label of SHA-2. This is a group of two that has functions which are alike. SHA-2 has two diverse sizes of block and these blocks are known as SHA-512 and SHA-256. The major disparities between the two are the word sizes wherein SHA-256 utilizes 32-bit words while SHA-512 applies 64-bit words in the process. Shortened versions of the two standards were branded as SHA-384 and SHA-224.
The most recent generation of SHA is SHA-3 and it is currently undergoing continuous improvement. As of the present, there is an ongoing NIST hash function rivalry among the different options vying for the position of the third generation of SHA, which is the SHA-3. The competition has been planned to end anytime soon and choosing of a winning function will also ensue. And, this newest generation will serve as the advanced hash algorithm for the year 2012 and beyond.
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