The National Institute of Standards and Technology has wrapped up the full cryptographic hash algorithm standard for electronic information security.
NIST said Wednesday the Secure Hash Algorithm-3 standard contains various functions that are based on the Keccak algorithm, winner of NIST’s SHA-3 cryptographic hash algorithm contest.
SHA-3 works to create a “message digest†for different types of digital applications.
“SHA-3 is very different from SHA-2 in design,” said NIST’s Shu-jen Chang.
“It doesn’t replace SHA-2, which has not shown any problem, but offers a backup,†added Shu-jen.
NIST developed the standard within nine years through the collection of 64 submissions of hashing algorithm proposals worldwide through a public competition.
