soc · beginner
Use SHA-256 comparisons to classify files as unchanged, modified, or unverified.
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Section 1 · 1 tasks
A cryptographic hash maps input data to a fixed-length digest. The same bytes produce the same digest, while even a tiny change should produce a very different digest. Hashes are designed to be one-way; they are not encryption and cannot restore the original file.
Section 2 · 1 tasks
SHA-256 produces a 256-bit digest commonly written as 64 hexadecimal characters. It is preferred over legacy MD5 or SHA-1 for modern integrity verification because those older algorithms have practical collision weaknesses.
Section 3 · 2 tasks
Calculate and securely store a trusted SHA-256 value. Later, calculate the current file hash using the same algorithm and compare the complete values. A match supports that the bytes are unchanged; a mismatch proves the bytes differ. Without a trusted baseline, integrity is unknown.
Section 4 · 3 tasks
policy.txt: expected aaaaaaaa…aaaa; current aaaaaaaa…aaaaagent.conf: expected bbbbbbbb…bbbb; current bbbbbbbb…bbbcnotes.csv: no trusted expected hash; current cccccccc…ccccEach displayed value represents a full fictional 64-character SHA-256 digest. Compare complete values; the ellipsis is only visual shorthand in this lesson.