Network Defense Essentials (NDE) Practice Exam

Which hashing function is considered to be a widely used cryptographic hash function and produces a 128-bit output?

1. Bcrypt

2. MD5

3. RIPEMD-160

4. SHA-512

The correct answer is: MD5

The choice of MD5 as a widely used cryptographic hash function producing a 128-bit output is accurate. MD5, or Message-Digest Algorithm 5, was developed by Ronald Rivest in 1991 and has been extensively utilized in various applications for data integrity checks and digital signatures. Despite its vulnerabilities to collision attacks—where two different inputs can produce the same hash—MD5 remains prevalent in certain contexts due to its speed and the legacy of its deployment in many systems. Understanding the specifics of MD5 is crucial. It generates a fixed-length 128-bit hash value from an arbitrary amount of input data. This property of compression allows MD5 to effectively represent large datasets in a condensed form. It is important to note, however, that while MD5 is still in use, it is generally recommended to consider other more secure alternatives for applications requiring a higher level of security, given its weaknesses in cryptographic defenses. The other hashing functions mentioned differ in their output length and security characteristics. For instance, Bcrypt is specifically designed for password hashing and includes a work factor to increase computational difficulty; however, it does not produce a fixed 128-bit output like MD5. RIPEMD-160 outputs a 160-bit hash, providing a