What is NOT true about a one-way hashing function?

The correct answer is A. It provides authentication of the message. The statement 'It provides authentication of the message' is NOT true about a one-way hashing function alone. Hashing by itself provides integrity (detecting if data was altered), not authentication. Authentication requires proof of origin - you need a mechanism like a digital…

Submitted by brentm· Apr 18, 2026Cryptography

Question

Options

AIt provides authentication of the message
BA hash cannot be reverse to get the message used to create the hash
CThe results of a one-way hash is a message digest
DIt provides integrity of the message

How the community answered

(28 responses)

A
86% (24)
B
7% (2)
C
4% (1)
D
4% (1)

Explanation

The statement 'It provides authentication of the message' is NOT true about a one-way hashing function alone. Hashing by itself provides integrity (detecting if data was altered), not authentication. Authentication requires proof of origin - you need a mechanism like a digital signature or HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code) that involves a secret key or private key to tie the hash to a specific sender. The other statements are true: a hash cannot be reversed (one-way property), the output is called a message digest, and hashing verifies data integrity.

Topics

#Hashing#Message Integrity#Message Authentication#Cryptography Fundamentals

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