Question 1

Is MD5 supported?

Accepted Answer

MD5 is not supported because it is considered cryptographically broken — collision attacks have been demonstrated. Use SHA-256 or higher for all security applications. SHA-256 is widely supported and provides strong integrity guarantees.

Question 2

What is a cryptographic hash?

Accepted Answer

A cryptographic hash is a fixed-length string produced by a one-way mathematical function applied to any input. The same input always produces the same hash, but different inputs (even differing by one character) produce completely different hashes.

Question 3

Can I use SHA-256 to store passwords?

Accepted Answer

Not directly. Raw SHA-256 is too fast, making brute-force attacks feasible. Use a password-specific algorithm like bcrypt, Argon2, or PBKDF2 which are intentionally slow and include salting. SHA-256 is appropriate for data integrity verification.

Question 4

What is the difference between SHA-256 and SHA-512?

Accepted Answer

Both are part of the SHA-2 family. SHA-256 produces a 256-bit (64 hex character) digest; SHA-512 produces a 512-bit (128 hex character) digest. SHA-512 is slightly more secure but produces a longer output. SHA-256 is the most widely used.

Question 5

Can two different inputs produce the same hash (collision)?

Accepted Answer

Theoretically yes, but for SHA-256 and SHA-512 no practical collision has ever been found. Collisions are computationally infeasible with current technology, making these algorithms secure for integrity verification.

Question 6

Why does hashing the same text always give the same result?

Accepted Answer

Hash functions are deterministic algorithms — they always map the same input to the same output. This property is essential for use cases like integrity checks, where you compare a known-good hash against a freshly computed one.

Question 7

Is my data sent to a server?

Accepted Answer

No. Hashing is performed in your browser using the Web Crypto API (window.crypto.subtle). Your input text never leaves your device and is not transmitted or stored anywhere.

Question 8

Can I hash a file instead of text?

Accepted Answer

The text input mode hashes text strings. If you need to hash a file, read the file content as text or ArrayBuffer and hash it — file hashing may be added as a feature in a future update.

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