Cryptography
hashing
cryptography
security
What is SHA-256?
Definition
SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit) is a cryptographic hash function that produces a 256-bit (64 hex character) digest. It is part of the SHA-2 family designed by the NSA and is considered secure for all current applications.
Why It Matters
SHA-256 is the industry standard for data integrity, digital signatures, SSL/TLS certificates, blockchain (Bitcoin), and content addressing. It is the recommended hash function when security matters.
Code Example
import hashlib
digest = hashlib.sha256(b'Hello, World!').hexdigest()
print(digest) # dffd6021bb2bd5b0af676290809ec3a5...Language: python