5 Tips for Working with Hash Functions

Tips for working with hashes

1. Don't use MD5 for security

MD5 is vulnerable to collisions and is not suitable for storing passwords or authentication. Use SHA-256 or SHA-512.

2. Add salt when hashing passwords

Salt is a random string added to the password before hashing. This protects against rainbow tables.

3. Use specialized password algorithms

bcrypt, scrypt and Argon2 are specifically designed for hashing passwords and slow down brute force.

4. Check file checksums

After downloading large files or ISO images, check the SHA-256 hash with the one listed on the website.

5. MD5 is acceptable for non-critical tasks

For fast file comparison, deduplication, and caching, MD5 is still convenient and fast.

Applicability table

See also: Password generator, UUID generator