Glossary: Security Operations and Incident Response

SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit)

Also written: SHA-256

A hash algorithm that turns a file's contents into a 256-bit fingerprint, written as 64 hexadecimal characters, which changes completely if even one byte changes. Investigators record the SHA-256 hash of evidence, such as the phishing email `invoice-0417.eml`, when they collect it, so they can later show the evidence is unchanged.