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What is File Hashing?
What is File Hashing?
File hashing creates a unique digital fingerprint of a file by processing its contents through a cryptographic algorithm. This fingerprint (hash) can be used to verify that a file hasn't been altered or corrupted, making it essential for security audits, software distribution, and data integrity verification.
- Integrity Check: Verify files haven't been tampered with
- Duplicate Detection: Find identical files with different names
- Download Verification: Confirm software downloads are authentic
- Fast Comparison: Compare large files using small hash values
- Secure: File contents never leave your device
Common Uses
- Software Distribution: Verify downloaded software hasn't been modified
- Forensics: Create tamper-evident records of digital evidence
- Backup Verification: Ensure backup files match originals
- Malware Detection: Identify known malicious files by hash
- Version Control: Track file changes in repositories
How to Use
- Select a hashing algorithm (SHA-256 is recommended for most uses)
- Drag and drop a file or click to browse
- Wait for the hash to be generated
- Click the copy icon to copy the hash to your clipboard
- Use the hash to verify file integrity
Glossary
- File Checksum
- A hash value calculated from the contents of a file, used to verify data integrity.
- Digital Fingerprint
- A unique identifier generated from file contents that changes if any byte is modified.
- Hash Collision
- Rare event where two different files produce the same hash value.
- Integrity Verification
- The process of confirming that data hasn't been altered from its original form.
- CRC32
- Cyclic Redundancy Check - a fast error-detecting code commonly used for data verification.
- File Signature
- Another term for file hash or checksum used to uniquely identify file contents.