cryptographic hash functions

A cryptographic hash function is a mathematical process that transforms data into a fixed-length string of characters, called a hash. It’s designed to be unique and consistent—small changes in the input produce a different hash, while the same input always results in the same hash. Hash functions are used for data integrity, password verification, and digital signatures, ensuring that information hasn’t been altered and verifying authenticity. They are efficient, irreversible—meaning you can't easily find the original data from the hash—and secure against attempts to reverse-engineer or manipulate the data.