Collisions in Hashing

What is a hash function?

A function that takes an input of any size and creates a fixed-size string called a message digest or checksum.

What is a hash collision?

A situation where two different inputs produce the same hash, compromising data integrity.

Why are collisions problematic in hashing?

They undermine the uniqueness of hashes, making them unreliable for security applications like digital signatures and password storage.

Which hashing algorithm is known for collision issues?

MD5, which was found to have collisions in 1996 and is no longer recommended for security purposes.