What are the differences between hash functions in C#?

What are the differences between hash functions in C#?

In C#, common hash functions include MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256. Each has different security levels and performance.

Can you explain the security implications of using MD5?

MD5 is considered weak due to vulnerabilities that allow for collision attacks, making it unsuitable for security-sensitive applications.

What about SHA-256? Is it more secure?

Yes, SHA-256 is part of the SHA-2 family and is much more secure than MD5, making it a better choice for cryptographic purposes.

How do I implement SHA-256 in C#?

You can use the System.Security.Cryptography namespace. Here's a simple example:

using System.Security.Cryptography;
using System.Text;

public string ComputeSHA256(string input) {
    using (SHA256 sha256 = SHA256.Create()) {
        byte[] bytes = sha256.ComputeHash(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(input));
        return BitConverter.ToString(bytes).Replace("-", "").ToLower();
    }
}