bcrypt vs sha256: What are the differences?
Key Differences between bcrypt and sha256
Bcrypt and SHA256 are both cryptographic hashing algorithms commonly used in password storage and authentication. While both algorithms serve the same purpose, there are several key differences between them that are important to understand.
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Hashing Algorithm: Bcrypt is a hashing algorithm specifically designed for password hashing, whereas SHA256 is a cryptographic hash function that can be used for various purposes including password hashing.
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Adaptive Hashing: Bcrypt is an adaptive hash function that can be adjusted to have a higher or lower amount of computational work, which makes it resistant to brute-force attacks. On the other hand, SHA256 is a non-adaptive hash function with a fixed computational cost, which makes it less resistant to brute-force attacks.
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Salt Inclusion: Bcrypt automatically includes a salt value as part of the hashing process, which enhances its security by preventing attacks such as rainbow tables. SHA256, on the other hand, does not include a salt by default, although it is recommended to use a salt value when using this algorithm.
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Hashing Speed: Bcrypt is intentionally designed to be slow, which makes it more resilient against brute-force attacks and reduces the efficiency of password cracking attempts. SHA256, being a non-adaptive function, is comparatively faster.
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Hash Length: Bcrypt produces a fixed-length hash output of 184 bits, while SHA256 produces a fixed-length hash output of 256 bits. The longer hash output of SHA256 theoretically provides a larger possibility space, which makes it more resistant to collision attacks.
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Usage: Bcrypt is commonly used in web applications for securely storing user passwords, while SHA256 is more commonly used in various cryptography applications, digital signatures, and data integrity checks.
In summary, bcrypt and SHA256 differ in their design goals, adaptive hashing capability, salt inclusion, hashing speed, output length, and typical usage scenarios.
