(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

The output of any given hashing algorithm is always what?

1. The same length

2. The same characters

3. The same language

4. Different for the same inputs

The correct answer is: The same length

The output of any given hashing algorithm is always the same length, regardless of the input data size or content. This characteristic is crucial because it ensures that the resulting hash value, or checksum, maintains a consistent format that is easy to handle and compare. For example, algorithms like SHA-256 produce a hash that is always 256 bits long, while SHA-1 consistently yields a 160-bit hash. This fixed length simplifies many tasks in cybersecurity, such as creating digital signatures and verifying data integrity. Regarding the other choices, they do not hold true across all hashing algorithms. The notion of "the same characters" does not apply, as the characters in the hash output are determined by the specific algorithm used and the input. Similarly, "the same language" is not relevant—hash outputs can be represented in various encoding formats, regardless of their language of representation. Lastly, the output being "different for the same inputs" contradicts the fundamental property of hashing; a core characteristic of cryptographic hash functions is that the same input will always yield the same output, which is essential for integrity verification and data consistency. Thus, the correct emphasis remains on the consistent length of the output produced by hashing algorithms.