What are some common hashing algorithms used in Python?

What are some common hashing algorithms used in Python?

Some common hashing algorithms in Python include MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512. Would you like to know more about any specific one?

Can you explain how SHA-256 works?

SHA-256 is a cryptographic hash function that produces a 256-bit hash value. It processes data in blocks and uses a series of logical operations to ensure security.

How do I implement SHA-256 in Python?

You can use the hashlib library in Python. Here's a simple example:

import hashlib

# Create a new sha256 hash object
hash_object = hashlib.sha256()

# Update the hash object with the bytes-like object
hash_object.update(b'Hello World')

# Get the hexadecimal representation of the digest
hex_dig = hash_object.hexdigest()
print(hex_dig)

What are the differences between MD5 and SHA-256?

MD5 produces a 128-bit hash and is faster but less secure than SHA-256, which is more secure and produces a 256-bit hash.