SHA-256 rs-sha256 - Secure Hash Algorithm 256

SHA-256 is a member of the SHA-2 cryptographic hash functions designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is commonly employed in various security communication protocols and data integrity checks.

Usage

The crate offers a straightforward API, enabling users to instantiate a new SHA-256 hasher, update it with input data, and finalize to obtain the resultant hash.

Example

This is an illustration of using the SHA-256 hash function in Rust:

# use std::hash::{BuildHasher, Hasher};
# use rs_sha256::Sha256State;
let mut sha256hasher = Sha256State::default().build_hasher();
sha256hasher.write(b"hello world");
let result = sha256hasher.finish();
assert_eq!(result, 0xB94D27B9934D3E08);

Additionally, in a HashSet context:

# use std::{
#     collections::HashSet,
#     hash::{BuildHasher, Hash, Hasher}
# };
# use rs_sha256::Sha256Hasher;
let hello = "hello";
let mut sha256hasher1 = Sha256Hasher::default();
let mut sha256hasher2 = Sha256Hasher::default();
let mut sha256hasher3 = Sha256Hasher::default();

sha256hasher1.write(hello.as_bytes());
hello.hash(&mut sha256hasher2);
sha256hasher3.write(hello.as_bytes());
sha256hasher3.write(&[0xFF]);

let u64result1 = sha256hasher1.finish();
let u64result2 = sha256hasher2.finish();
let u64result3 = sha256hasher3.finish();

assert_eq!(u64result1, 0x2CF24DBA5FB0A30E);
assert_eq!(u64result2, 0xFCFE450961C66DC3);
assert_eq!(u64result2, u64result3);
assert_ne!(u64result1, u64result2);

Use Cases

SHA-256 is broadly used in various security-critical tasks, including:

• TLS and SSL, IPsec, and SSH for network communication security.
• Digital signatures and certificate authorities for data integrity and sender authentication.
• Blockchain applications for ensuring data integrity.

NIST recommends SHA-256 for most applications until 2030, marking it as a secure option for cryptographic functions in the current landscape.