What is the term for a one-way function that produces a hash value to determine message integrity when compared between sender and receiver?

What is the term for a one-way function that produces a hash value to determine message integrity when compared between sender and receiver?

• A. Guidelines
• B. Hash
• C. Encryption
• D. Integrity

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is using a hash to verify message integrity. A hash is a one-way function that takes input data and produces a fixed-size hash value (digest). The same message always yields the same digest, and a small change in the message produces a different digest. The sender and receiver each compute the hash of the message and compare the results; if they match, the data hasn’t been altered. This is why the correct term is a hash. Guidelines aren’t a data transformation, encryption is reversible and aimed at confidentiality, and integrity is a property, not the mechanism used to generate a digest for comparison.

The concept being tested is using a hash to verify message integrity. A hash is a one-way function that takes input data and produces a fixed-size hash value (digest). The same message always yields the same digest, and a small change in the message produces a different digest. The sender and receiver each compute the hash of the message and compare the results; if they match, the data hasn’t been altered.

This is why the correct term is a hash. Guidelines aren’t a data transformation, encryption is reversible and aimed at confidentiality, and integrity is a property, not the mechanism used to generate a digest for comparison.