Key signature (cryptography)
Encyclopedia
In cryptography
, a key signature is the result of applying a hash function
on a key, for the purpose of simplifying operations on keys.
For example, cryptographic keys are often quite large and cumbersome to compare, so a user who
wants to verify the presence of a public key in a database might use a smaller key signature
rather than comparing the whole key.
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
, a key signature is the result of applying a hash function
Cryptographic hash function
A cryptographic hash function is a deterministic procedure that takes an arbitrary block of data and returns a fixed-size bit string, the hash value, such that an accidental or intentional change to the data will change the hash value...
on a key, for the purpose of simplifying operations on keys.
For example, cryptographic keys are often quite large and cumbersome to compare, so a user who
wants to verify the presence of a public key in a database might use a smaller key signature
rather than comparing the whole key.