312-50V10 · Question #320
Which of the following is a hashing algorithm?
The correct answer is A. MD5. MD5 is a one-way cryptographic hashing algorithm, whereas the other options are encryption ciphers or encoding schemes. Recognizing the distinction between hashing, encryption, and encoding is a core security concept.
Question
Which of the following is a hashing algorithm?
Options
- AMD5
- BPGP
- CDES
- DROT13
How the community answered
(20 responses)- A90% (18)
- B5% (1)
- D5% (1)
Why each option
MD5 is a one-way cryptographic hashing algorithm, whereas the other options are encryption ciphers or encoding schemes. Recognizing the distinction between hashing, encryption, and encoding is a core security concept.
MD5 (Message Digest 5) is a cryptographic hash function that takes arbitrary input and produces a fixed 128-bit digest, making it a hashing algorithm. It is used for data integrity verification and, despite known collision vulnerabilities that have deprecated its use in security-sensitive contexts, it remains the canonical example of a hashing algorithm on certification exams.
PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is a data encryption and digital signing tool that combines symmetric and asymmetric encryption - it is not a hashing algorithm.
DES (Data Encryption Standard) is a symmetric-key block cipher used for encryption and decryption of data, not a hashing algorithm.
ROT13 is a simple reversible letter-substitution cipher that shifts characters by 13 positions - it is a reversible encoding scheme, not a one-way hash function.
Concept tested: Identifying hashing algorithms versus encryption and encoding
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.security.cryptography.md5
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