What is SHA-256 and why should we use it?

SHA-256 is a cryptographic hash function that produces a 256-bit hash value from a data input. It is part of the SHA-2 family of hash functions (for more details, please check out https://justcryptography.com/sha-2/) that were designed by the National Security Agency (NSA) and published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2001.

SHA-256 is a widely used hash function for a variety of applications, including the following:

• Password storage: SHA-256 is used to store passwords securely. When a user creates an account on a website or application, their password is converted into an SHA-256 hash and stored in the database. When the user logs in, their password is converted into an SHA-256 hash and compared to the hash stored in the database. If the two hashes match, then the user is successfully logged in.
• Digital signatures: SHA-256 can be used to create digital signatures. A digital signature is a cryptographic...