This article explores what SHA-1 means, how and why it is used, and explains how to generate SHA-1 checksums.
SHA: Secure Hashing Algorithm – Computerphile
SHA-1 (short for Secure Hash Algorithm 1) is one of several cryptographic hash functions.
It is most commonly used to verify that a file is unchanged. This is done by producing a checksum before the file is sent, and again when it reaches its destination.
The sent file can only be considered authentic if both checksums are identical.
