This Unsolvable Problem is Worth Billions of Dollars
Even the supercomputers aren’t able to solve it.
One of the most popular computer algorithms is probably the SHA-256 hash function. It’s one of the most popular and strongest cryptographic hash functions in existence. It’s so strong that it’s used in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoins. It’s such an unbreakable function, a problem that emerged from it is worth billions of dollars.
So, what makes this hash function unbreakable? Well, there are a couple of factors we need to discuss. Well, first of all, let’s a bit about the SHA-256 hash function.
SHA-256
The SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm — 256) is a deterministic one-way hash function. It is one of the members of the SHA-2 cryptographic hash function, which was developed by the NSA. Thus far, its 256-bit key has never been compromised. Previously SHA-1 was the widely used hashing algorithm for encryption. But, with time, SHA-1 became gradually deprecated and it was no longer considered secure. So, SHA-2 was developed.
In 2016, the SSL certificate industry made the transition to SHA-2 and it became the new standard.
SHA-256, which is a member of the SHA-2 cryptographic hash function, has never been compromised. So, how is it so secure? We’ll know…
