Hash functions got the name "hash" because it's easy to compute the function with a given input, but nearly impossible to reverse engineer the hash function to get the original input. (2 points)
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The correct answer is: True.
A hash function is a mathematical function that takes an input (or "message") and returns a fixed-size string of characters, which is typically a hash value or a hash code. The name "hash" comes from the idea that the function "hashes" the input into a fixed-size output.
Hash functions are designed in such a way that they are easy to compute or calculate with a given input. This means that given any input, it is relatively straightforward and efficient to generate the corresponding hash value. However, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reverse engineer the hash function and obtain the original input from the hash value.
This property is known as "one-wayness" or "pre-image resistance," meaning that it is computationally infeasible to find the original input from the hash value alone. Even a small change in the input will produce a completely different hash value, making it highly resistant to any attempts to reverse engineer the original input.
Therefore, the name "hash" accurately reflects the key characteristic of hash functions - they can efficiently compute a fixed-size output while making it nearly impossible to retrieve the original input from the output alone.