312-50V11 · Question #546
Which of the following algorithms provides better protection against brute force attacks by using a 160-bit message digest?
The correct answer is B. SHA-1. SHA-1 produces a 160-bit message digest, making it more resistant to brute force and collision attacks than older 128-bit algorithms like MD4 and MD5.
Question
Which of the following algorithms provides better protection against brute force attacks by using a 160-bit message digest?
Options
- AMD5
- BSHA-1
- CRC4
- DMD4
How the community answered
(25 responses)- A4% (1)
- B96% (24)
Why each option
SHA-1 produces a 160-bit message digest, making it more resistant to brute force and collision attacks than older 128-bit algorithms like MD4 and MD5.
MD5 produces only a 128-bit message digest, offering less brute force resistance than SHA-1's 160-bit output.
SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1) generates a 160-bit message digest, which provides a significantly larger hash output than MD4 or MD5. The larger digest size increases the computational effort required to find a matching hash via brute force. It was standardized by NIST in FIPS 180-1 specifically to improve upon the weaker 128-bit predecessors.
RC4 is a symmetric stream cipher used for encryption, not a hashing algorithm, and produces no message digest.
MD4 produces a 128-bit message digest and is considered cryptographically broken, offering less protection than SHA-1.
Concept tested: SHA-1 hash output size and brute force resistance
Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/fips/180/4/final
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