Encryption vs Hashing
Encryption provides two-way functionality that allows data to be converted to ciphertext and back to data using a key.Hashing provides one-way functionality that produces a fixed length hashcode from data that is difficult to reverse back to data.Encryption is used to secure data and communications from unauthorized access. Hashing is used for a variety of purposes such as generating secure keys for encryption, storing passwords in databases and generating digital signatures. A small change in data input results in a completely different hashcode. This can be useful for verifying that a downloaded file hasn't been tampered with.Hashcodes can't be considered encrypted data. However, hashcodes are one of the foundational techniques of cryptography that is commonly used to generate keys, store passwords and verify identity.| Encryption vs Hashing | ||
Encryption | Hashing | |
Definition | Two-way functionality for converting data into ciphertext that relies on secret keys. | One-way functionality for generating unique, fixed length codes from data that are infeasible to reverse back to the data. |
