Fundamentals of InfoSecintermediate
Explain how comparing a file's hash before and after editing can reveal a change.
Answer
A hash algorithm produces a value from the file's contents. A user can calculate a hash before editing and calculate it again afterward. If the values differ, the file's contents have changed. The hash does not recover the file or, by itself, establish who changed it.
Explanation
### The concept
A checksum is a value calculated from data, commonly by applying a hash algorithm. To check integrity, calculate the value for the file and later calculate it again from the current file. A mismatch indicates that the inputs differ. This does not tell you what changed or who changed it. A plain checksum also needs protection if an attacker might replace both the file and the expected hash.
### What a good answer covers
- A hash is calculated from the file's contents.
- The same procedure is applied again after editing.
- Different values indicate the data changed.
- A hash does not identify the person responsible.
### Remember
Hash comparison detects difference; it does not explain or attribute the change.
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