SHA – 256

**What is SHA – 256? **

The SHA – 256 refers to a cryptographic hash function that returns a 256-bit long result. The SHA – 256 is a hash function used as a mining algorithm on the Bitcoin protocol. 

SHA – 256 controls the formation and administration of addresses and helps verify transactions. The Bitcoin network applies the hash function twice, which is double SHA-256. 

The SHA – 256 is an alternative to the SHA-2 (Secure Hash Algorithm 2), which was introduced by the National Security Agency (NSA). Commonly used encryption protocols like the SSL, TLS, SSH, and other open sources operating systems like Unix and Linux usually use SHA – 256. 

Applications of the SHA – 256

As a hash algorithm, the SHA – 256 is very secure, and its inner mechanisms are not public knowledge. Therefore, it is secure enough to be used by the US government to safeguard its sensitive information. The security is guaranteed by its capability to authenticate any data or content without affecting its privacy. It can do this by using digital signatures. 

The function is frequently used for password verification as it does not necessitate that users store their exact passwords, as the hash values can be kept and matched with what the user enters to verify its accuracy. 

The SHA – 256 is so secure that getting the initial data fed into a hash value is virtually impossible. This is because the number of potential combinations is so high that a brute force attack becomes unlikely. It is also highly improbable that two unique data values could have an identical hash.