GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies Practice Test

Which of the following is considered a secure hashing algorithm?

1. MD5

2. SHA1

3. SHA2

4. All of the above

The correct answer is: SHA2

The secure hashing algorithm recognized in this context is SHA2. It is a family of cryptographic hash functions designed to provide a higher level of security compared to its predecessors. SHA2, which includes SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512, is widely used in various security applications and protocols, including TLS and SSL, for integrity and authentication purposes. The hashing algorithms MD5 and SHA1, while they were once commonly used, have significant vulnerabilities that have been discovered over time. MD5 is known for its susceptibility to collision attacks, where two different inputs can produce the same hash output, which undermines its reliability in security contexts. Likewise, SHA1 has also been shown to be vulnerable to attacks, leading to its deprecation in favor of more secure algorithms like SHA2. In summary, SHA2 is the correct answer because it is regarded as secure and robust against known vulnerabilities, making it the preferred choice for cryptographic hash functions in modern security practices.