Security Tools/SHA Hash Generator
SHA Hash Generator
Generate SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512 hashes
Input Text
Hash Output (SHA-256)
Hash will appear here...
SHA Hash Guide
Learn about the SHA family of cryptographic hash functions
What is SHA?
SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) is a family of cryptographic hash functions designed by the NSA. SHA-256 and SHA-512 are part of SHA-2 and are widely used for data integrity, digital signatures, and password hashing. They produce fixed-size outputs regardless of input size.
How to Use
- Select your preferred SHA algorithm (SHA-256 recommended)
- Enter the text you want to hash
- Click Generate to compute the hash
- Use the hash for verification or comparison purposes
Algorithm Selection
- SHA-256 is the standard choice for most security applications
- Avoid SHA-1 for security purposes - it has known vulnerabilities
- SHA-512 offers more security but produces longer hashes
Security Note
SHA-2 (SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512) is currently considered secure for cryptographic purposes. For password hashing, consider using specialized algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2 which include salting and are designed to be computationally expensive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which SHA algorithm should I use?
SHA-256 is recommended for most applications - it's secure, fast, and widely supported. SHA-512 offers a larger security margin and may be faster on 64-bit systems. Avoid SHA-1 for security purposes as it's vulnerable to collision attacks. SHA-3 is the newest option if you need an alternative to SHA-2.
What's the difference between SHA-1 and SHA-256?
SHA-1 produces 160-bit hashes and is now cryptographically broken - practical collision attacks exist. SHA-256 produces 256-bit hashes and remains secure against all known attacks. SHA-256 is part of the SHA-2 family, while SHA-1 is older. Always use SHA-256 or newer for security applications.
Can SHA hashes be reversed to get the original data?
No. SHA is a one-way function - there's no mathematical way to derive the original input from a hash. Attackers use rainbow tables (precomputed hashes) or brute-force to find inputs that produce matching hashes. This is why SHA alone isn't suitable for passwords - use bcrypt with salting instead.
Why does the same input always produce the same hash?
Hash functions are deterministic by design - same input always gives same output. This enables verification (comparing hashes to check data integrity). For passwords, this is a weakness attackers exploit with rainbow tables. Bcrypt solves this by adding a random salt, so each hash is unique.
Is SHA secure for password storage?
No, plain SHA hashes should never be used for passwords. SHA is designed to be fast, which makes brute-force attacks easier. Use bcrypt, Argon2, or scrypt instead - they're deliberately slow and include automatic salting. SHA is for data integrity verification, not password storage.