Hash algorithms are software realization of cryptographic hash functions. Those functions are valued for their useful
properties and used widely in the field of cyber security. Within encryption software, hash algorithms are used mainly for
password hashing, key generation and signature verification.
BestCrypt features a number of most secure hash algorithms nowadays to provide customers reliable data protection. These are:
SHA-3 which is also known as Keccak is a hash algorithm with innovative sponge construction designed by Guido Bertoni, Joan Daemen, Michael Peeters, and Gilles Van Assche. On October 2, 2012, Keccak was selected as the winner of the NIST hash function competition. In hardware implementations it was notably faster than all other finalists. The standardization process is in progress as of November 2014. In BestCrypt the version of SHA-3 with 512 bit long digest is implemented.
Whirlpool Whirlpool is a hash algorithm with 512 bit digest based on a substantially modified Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) designed by Vincent Rijmen (co-creator of AES) and Paulo S. L. M. Barreto. The hash has been recommended by the NESSIE project. It has also been adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as part of the joint ISO/IEC 10118-3 international standard.
SHA-2 is a set of cryptographic hash functions designed by the NSA (U.S. National Security Agency). SHA-2 was published in 2001 by the NIST as a U.S. federal standard (FIPS). Though The NIST hash function competition selected a new hash function, SHA-3 in 2012, it is not meant to replace SHA-2, as no significant attack on SHA-2 has been demonstrated. In BestCrypt, SHA-2 family is represented by two hash algorithms: SHA-256 and SHA-512 named after the size of the digest. While SHA-512 is still sharp, SHA-256 is not recommended to use for new containers and is supported to maintain compatibility with previous versions.
Skein is a cryptographic hash function and one of five finalists in the NIST hash function competition. Entered as a candidate to become the SHA-3 standard, it ultimately lost to Keccak. Skein was created by Bruce Schneier, Niels Ferguson, Stefan Lucks, Doug Whiting, Mihir Bellare, Tadayoshi Kohno, Jon Callas and Jesse Walker. Skein is based on the Threefish tweakable block cipher. The name Skein refers to how the Skein function intertwines the input, similar to a skein of yarn.