Cryptographic hash function

A cryptographic hash function is a hash function that is suitable for use in cryptography. It is a mathematical algorithm that maps data of arbitrary size (often called the 'message') to a bit string of a fixed size (the 'hash value', 'hash', or 'message digest') and is a one-way function, that is, a function which is practically infeasible to invert. Ideally, the only way to find a message that produces a given hash is to attempt a brute-force search of possible inputs to see if they produce a match, or use a rainbow table of matched hashes. Cryptographic hash functions are a basic tool of modern cryptography. A cryptographic hash function is a hash function that is suitable for use in cryptography. It is a mathematical algorithm that maps data of arbitrary size (often called the 'message') to a bit string of a fixed size (the 'hash value', 'hash', or 'message digest') and is a one-way function, that is, a function which is practically infeasible to invert. Ideally, the only way to find a message that produces a given hash is to attempt a brute-force search of possible inputs to see if they produce a match, or use a rainbow table of matched hashes. Cryptographic hash functions are a basic tool of modern cryptography.