MD5 MD5 (Message Digest algorithm 5) is a widely used hashing algorithm used to generate signatures for data packet authentication. Hashing is a process of producing numeric values to strings of text. MD5 can be used to hash an arbitrary length string of text into a 128-bit value. It has been tested a great deal and is therefore well trusted.
Using MD5 to produce a digital signature for packet authentication accomplishes two important functions:
It proves the data was sent by the sender and was not forged (data authentication).
It proves that the message was not modified or tampered with (data integrity).
