SHA-1 Hash Generator
Generate a SHA-1 hash from any text or file input
What is a SHA-1 hash?
SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1) is a cryptographic hash function that takes an input and produces a 160-bit (20-byte) hash value typically rendered as a 40-digit hexadecimal number. It was designed by the United States National Security Agency (NSA) and published by the United States NIST as a U.S. Federal Information Processing Standard.
SHA-1 is commonly used for verifying the integrity of files and messages. When you download a file, many sites will provide a SHA-1 hash so you can verify that the file hasn't been tampered with or corrupted during download.
Security Notice
SHA-1 is no longer considered secure against well-funded attackers. In 2017, researchers demonstrated a practical collision attack against SHA-1. For security-critical applications, it's recommended to use stronger hash functions like SHA-256 or SHA-3.
Common Uses of SHA-1
- Version control systems like Git (though Git is moving away from SHA-1)
- File integrity verification
- Digital signatures (though no longer recommended)
- Legacy systems and backward compatibility
While SHA-1 is still used in many applications for non-security-critical purposes, it's important to understand its limitations and consider stronger alternatives when security is a priority.