SHA-1

SHA-1 is like a secret code that can turn any information into a jumbled up mess. Just like how you might write a secret message in code that only your best friend can understand, SHA-1 is a type of code that can protect important information online.

Let's say you have a password for your online account. If someone else gets a hold of your password, they could steal your information or pretend to be you. This is why websites use a special code like SHA-1 to make sure your password is safe.

When you create a password, the website takes your password and runs it through the SHA-1 code. This turns your password into a long string of letters and numbers that looks like gibberish. Even if someone else got a hold of that string of gibberish, they wouldn't be able to turn it back into your password.

So, when you type in your password to log into your account, the website takes that password and runs it through the SHA-1 code again. If the jumbled up gibberish that comes out matches the gibberish that was stored when you first created your password, the website knows that it's really you trying to log in.

Scientists have found ways to crack SHA-1 codes, which is why websites are using newer and stronger codes to protect your information. But for now, SHA-1 is still an important tool for keeping passwords safe online.