What is the difference between encryption and hashing?
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Encryption
Hashing
In summary, encryption is like locking your data with a key, and you can unlock it later. Hashing is like turning your data into a unique fingerprint that can’t be reversed.
Encryption and hashing are both techniques used to secure data, but they serve different purposes and work in distinct ways.
Encryption:
1. Purpose:
– Protects data by converting it into an unreadable format to prevent unauthorized access.
– Ensures confidentiality of data.
2. Process:
– Uses an algorithm and a key to transform plaintext (readable data) into ciphertext (unreadable data).
– The same key (symmetric encryption) or a pair of keys (public and private keys in asymmetric encryption) is used to decrypt the data back into its original form.
3. Use Cases:
– Secure communication over the internet (e.g., HTTPS).
– Protect sensitive information like credit card numbers and personal data.
4. Example Algorithms:
– AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)
– RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman)
– DES (Data Encryption Standard)
Hashing:
1. Purpose:
– Creates a unique digital fingerprint of data.
– Ensures data integrity by detecting changes or modifications.
2. Process:
– Uses a hash function to convert data of any size into a fixed-size string of characters.
– The output, called a hash or digest, is unique to the original data.
– Hashing is a one-way process; you cannot revert the hash back to the original data.
3. Use Cases:
– Storing passwords securely.
– Verifying data integrity (e.g., checksums).
– Digital signatures.
4. Example Algorithms:
– MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5)
– SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1)
– SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit)
Key Differences:
1. Reversibility:
– Encryption is reversible; encrypted data can be decrypted back to its original form using a key.
– Hashing is irreversible; you cannot obtain the original data from the hash.
2. Purpose:
– Encryption is used for data confidentiality.
– Hashing is used for data integrity and verification.
3. Output:
– Encrypted data varies in size, typically proportional to the input data.
– Hash output is a fixed size regardless of input data size.
Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right technique for securing data in different scenarios.