What is the difference between collision and preimage attacks?

What is the difference between collision and preimage attacks?

Collision attacks aim to find two different inputs that produce the same hash output, while preimage attacks try to find an input that corresponds to a specific hash output.

Can you give me an example of each type of attack?

Sure! For a collision attack, imagine two different documents that, when hashed, result in the same hash value. For a preimage attack, think of trying to reverse-engineer a password hash to find the original password.

Which one is considered more difficult to execute?

Preimage attacks are generally considered more difficult than collision attacks because they require finding a specific input for a given hash, rather than just any two inputs that collide.

How can we protect against these types of attacks?

To protect against these attacks, use strong cryptographic hash functions, implement salting, and regularly update your hashing algorithms.