SHA-256 and SHA-3

Both the SHA-256 and SHA-3 are hashing algorithms, Both of these algorithms are very widely known and popularly used in the security as well as the cryptography of modern computers these algorithms are used in order to protect sensitive data as well as maintain the security of the systems so in this article, we will learn what SHA-256 and SHA-3 algorithms are as well as look at the difference among these two.

Introduction

As we discussed both of these algorithms are hashing algorithms, so let’s understand hashing first, hashing is the process of scrambling raw information and scrambling it to such an extent that reproducing it back to the original form that it was in is not possible so in simple words, hashing simply takes a piece of the information and then it passes it through something called a hash function and the hash function performs some mathematical operations on the raw data.

hash function.

As you can see in the above image, we are using hash function that is converting the plain text into a hash digest these types of hash digests are irreversible which means that no one can provide you the original data by any means.

Now that we have some basic understanding of hashing let’s understand what is SHA-256 algorithm.

What is the SHA-256 Algorithm?

The SHA-256 algorithm belongs to the family of the SHA 2 algorithms, in this SHA stands for secure hash algorithm this algorithm was published in the year 2001. the main motive behind publishing this algorithm was to create a successor for the SHA one family and it was developed by the NSA as well as the NIST organisation because the SHA-1 family was losing its strength because of brute force attacks.

As the name suggests, the 256 means that the hash value that is generated each time remains 256 bits, it does not matter the size of the plain text and it remains 250 bits always.

What are the Characteristics of the SHA-256 Algorithm?

Now that we have some basic understanding about the SHA-256 algorithm, let’s look at some of the characteristics of the SHA-256 algorithm.

Here are some of the most important characteristics about the SHA-256 that makes it stand out from the rest:

Digest Length: This says that the length of the hash should be based on the naming convention, for example, the 256 bits is to be used in the SHA-256 and 512 bits in the SHA-512 and so on.

Irreversible Quality: This says that the functions such as the SHA-256 are irreversible which means that you should not get a plain text when you get access to the digest and you should not get the original value by passing it through the hash function as well.

What is the SHA-3 Algorithm?

The SHA or SHA-3 (Secure Hash Algorithm 3) is known to be the latest member of the SHA family of the secure hash algorithm stands it is published by the NIST on the year 2015. the SHA-3 is different when we look at the internal structure of the SHA-3 because the MD-5 structure is different from the SHA-1 and SHA-2. the SHA-3 is designed in order to provide a “random mapping” from a particular string of binary data to a “message digest” that is fixed in size, the SHA-3 also helps to achieve more security properties.

What are the Characteristics of the SHA-3 Algorithm?

Just like we looked at the characteristics of the SHA-256 algorithm, let’s take a look at the characteristics of the SHA-3 algorithm:

Digest sizes: The digest size of the SHA-3 algorithm is arbitrary.

Speed: The speed of the SHA-3 is 12.6 cpb on a x86-64-based machine, this is equivalent to the SHA-256 speed.

Difference Between SHA-256 and SHA-3

Now that we have understood both of the algorithms, let’s take a look at the difference between the SHA-256 and the SHA-3 algorithm to have a better understanding about both of these algorithms.

Feature	SHA-256	SHA-3
Algorithm	SHA-256 is a member of the SHA-256 family.	SHA-3 is a different hash function.
Design Process	Developed by the National Security Agency (NSA)	Designed by the Keccak Team through an open competition organised by the NIST.
Security	No known vulnerabilities as of current date.	No known vulnerabilities as of current date.
Block size	512 bits	Variable, with the most common being the 1600 bits.
Output size	256 bits	Variable, with standard output size being 224, 256, 384 or even 512 bits.
Performance	Generally faster due to the simpler structure.	Generally slower due to its more complex construction.
Resistance	Susceptible to length extension attacks.	Resistant to length extension attacks.
Padding scheme	Uses the Merkle Damgard construction.	Uses the sponge construction.
Message schedule	Different from SHA-3.	Based on the Keccak’s permutation.

Conclusion

In conclusion we learnt about both of the SHA-256 as well as the SHA-3 algorithms which are popularly used in the cryptography for modern computers and systems apart from this we also learned about the characteristics of each of these algorithms and then in the end we understood about the differences among each algorithm to have a better understanding about each of these algorithms.

Frequently Asked Questions on SHA-256 and SHA-3 – FAQs

How is SHA-256 used?

Answer: The SHA-256 is popularly used in the various security applications and protocols such as SSL/TLS, digital signatures, and blockchain technology (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.) to make sure that data integrity and authentication is enabled.

Is SHA-256 reversible?

No, SHA-256 is known to be a one-way hash function, which means that it is computationally infeasible to reverse the hash in order to obtain the original input data.

Is SHA-256 quantum-resistant?

The SHA-256 is not specifically designed to resist the quantum attacks, but it is believed to be more resistant than many other cryptographic algorithms due to its properties.

How does SHA-3 differ from SHA-256?

The SHA-256 is based on the Merkle-Damgård construction but the SHA-3 uses the sponge construction, this helps in order to provide resistance against certain types of cryptanalytic attacks.

Why was SHA-3 developed?

SHA-3 was developed as an alternative to the existing SHA-2 family of hash functions in order to enhance the security and also provide some additional options in existing algorithms.

Is SHA-3 more secure than SHA-256?

Both SHA-3 and SHA-256 are considered secure cryptographic hash functions but when it comes to deciding which one is more secure then definitely we can say that the SHA-3 is more secure because it is an advancement of the SHA-256.