Hashing is the process of converting an input into a hash value, think of it like a secret code that can be easily translated one way, but not back.Hashing is a way to convert any data into a fixed-size string of characters, called a "hash." Hashing is an irreversible process, and the same input will produce the same hash value. Think of it like a secret code that can be easily translated one way, but not back.
Here are few examples of hashing:
Anti-virus companies use hash values, called the cryptographic hash function. This hash value is used to identify suspicious files and known malware.
Passwords stored in the database are in the form of a hash value. This ensures that even if a hacker got access to the database, they still wouldn’t be able to decipher the passwords.
Checking the integrity of a file or message hash is really helpful. If the file or message is altered, we compare hash values before and after the file is last modified and stored somewhere. If two hashes are different, the file has been altered.