Which hash algorithms are still safe in 2026?

SHA-256 and SHA-512 from the SHA-2 family, plus SHA-3 and BLAKE3. Avoid MD5 and SHA-1 for any security context.

What is the difference between hashing and encryption?

Hashing is one-way and produces a fixed-length digest. Encryption is reversible with a key and preserves the input data. Hashes verify integrity; encryption protects confidentiality.

Why do passwords need salt and pepper?

Salt is per-user and stops precomputed rainbow-table attacks. Pepper is a server-side secret added to all hashes, kept outside the database, so a DB theft alone does not crack hashes.

What does HMAC give that a plain hash does not?

Authentication. HMAC binds the hash to a shared secret key, so a receiver can verify both integrity and origin — a plain hash proves only that data is unchanged.

Hash & Cryptography Quiz

Difficulty Round size

1/10

Score: 0

Click Start to begin.

About this quiz

81 exam-grade questions modelled on Security+ SY0-701 + CISSP + CySA+ practice patterns. Each is hand-curated against real RFC / NIST / IEEE standards with carefully designed distractors that catch common student mistakes. Difficulty tiers: easy (single-step, /24-/30 or basic definitions), medium (one trick angle, comparisons), hard (multi-step, allocation + summarisation, attack analysis), expert (scenario-based, PKI / OSPF / forensic).

Tracker stays local-only in your browser. Use the Reset button to clear your score and re-shuffle.