SHA-512 Hash Generator — Hashing for Security
Quick Answer: SHA-512 produces a 128-character hexadecimal hash. While it is a strong cryptographic hash, plain SHA-512 is NOT recommended for password hashing. Use bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 for passwords -- they add salting and intentional slowness to resist brute force.
FAQ
Can I use SHA-512 for passwords?
No. Plain SHA-512 is too fast (billions of hashes/second on GPUs). Password hashing requires intentionally slow algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2.
When should I use SHA-512?
For digital signatures, HMAC construction, integrity checking of large files, and cryptographic protocols that need a long hash output.