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A checksum is a mathematical function which takes an arbitrary amount of data as input, and produces a unique, fixed-sized output. Checksum functions are similar to hash functions, but have a different goal. Unlike other cryptographic functions which produce signatures for the purpose of authentication, checksum functions are often intended to simply identify changes to data through accidental transmission errors or as a result of tampering. As such, they are intended to ensure integrity, rather than authenticity. Examples of checksum functions include Adler-32 and Cyclic Redundancy Checks (CRCs).
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Last Updated on Saturday, 21 November 2009 09:36 |
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