Hash Applications: Checksums, HMAC & Git
See hashes in password storage, data integrity, and version control.
Welcome
Hash functions serve three critical roles in real systems: verifying data integrity (checksums), authenticating messages (HMAC), and tracking code history (Git).
File Checksums
When downloading software, providers publish the SHA-256 hash. After downloading, you compute the hash and compare:
sha256sum ubuntu-24.04.iso
# Should match published value exactly
All lessons in this course
- What Makes a Good Hash Function
- MD5: History, Uses & Why It Is Broken
- SHA-1 & SHA-2 Family Explained
- Hash Applications: Checksums, HMAC & Git