What is SHA-256?
SHA-256 is a member of the SHA-2 family that produces a 256-bit (64 hex character) digest. It is the current standard for secure hashing, used in TLS certificates, blockchains, file integrity, and digital signatures.
It is considered collision-resistant and secure for general cryptographic use. For password storage, pair a slow algorithm like bcrypt with salting rather than a raw fast hash.
Key points
- Part of the SHA-2 family; outputs a 256-bit (64 hex) digest.
- Considered secure and collision-resistant for general use.
- Used in TLS certificates, blockchains, and file integrity.
- For passwords, use a slow salted algorithm (bcrypt/Argon2) instead.
Example
sha256("hello") =
2cf24dba5fb0a30e26e83b2ac5b9e29e1b161e5c1fa7425e73043362938b9824Common uses
- TLS/SSL certificate signatures
- Blockchain and proof-of-work
- File and download integrity verification
- HMAC-SHA256 message signing
Work with SHA-256 directly in your browser.
Open the Hash Generator