MD5 is the fastest hash for file integrity checks on a cloud object store
Short answer
C MD5 computes a 128-bit digest faster than SHA-256 or SHA-512, making it the performance pick for object store integrity checks.
Question
Key Takeaways
Hash speed ranks MD5 ahead of SHA-256 and SHA-512, and when the question scopes the choice to performance, the collision weakness that normally disqualifies MD5 is not the deciding factor.
For file integrity checking on a cloud object store where performance matters most, MD5 is the suitable choice. It computes far faster than the SHA-2 family because it produces a short 128-bit digest with lighter computation, and integrity checking does not require its known collision weaknesses to be fatal.
Common mistake: Picking AES (D) confuses encryption with hashing: AES is a cipher for confidentiality and cannot produce a digest used to verify file integrity at all.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
The question pins the selection criterion to performance, and among the listed hash functions MD5 is the cheapest to compute: a 128-bit digest with a simpler round structure than SHA-256 or SHA-512. Object stores commonly use MD5 digests such as ETag-style checksums for quick integrity comparison of large object sets. Since the goal is detecting unintended file changes rather than resisting adversarial collision attacks, MD5's speed advantage is decisive here.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
A, SHA-256, and B, SHA-512, are stronger digests but computationally heavier, which directly contradicts the stated performance priority. D, AES, is not a hash function at all: it is a symmetric encryption algorithm whose output is reversible ciphertext, so it cannot serve as an integrity fingerprint.
Community Comment Notes
Therealjosh lays out the ranking that MD5 hashes faster than SHA-256, which beats SHA-512, especially on large files, while noting the security trade-off is irrelevant to the performance framing. iliketacos confirms the ordering and separately flags that AES is an encryption standard. braveheart22 and BlueMan93 agree on C, with braveheart22 adding the caveat that stronger security needs would call for SHA-512 instead.
Official Reference
- https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1321.html
- https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.180-4.pdf
These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer C. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Discussion 4 contributions
Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.
From public community threads 4
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Therealjosh 👍 5 Answered CFrom a performance perspective, the most suitable hashing algorithm for maintaining file integrity checks on a cloud object store would be MD5 (option C). MD5 is faster compared to SHA-256 and SHA-512, especially for large files. While SHA-256 and SHA-512 are more secure and resistant to collision attacks compared to MD5, they are also computationally more intensive and thus slower. AES (option D) is not a hashing algorithm but a symmetric encryption algorithm used for securing data at rest. It's not suitable for file integrity checks through hashing. Therefore, in terms of performance, MD5 would be the most appropriate choice among the options provided. However, it's important to note that MD5 is considered less secure than SHA-256 and SHA-512, so depending on the level of security required, SHA-256 might be preferred despite its higher computational overhead.
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iliketacos 👍 4 Answered CHashing files with MD5, since it's weaker/simpler, will hash faster than SHA256 which will be faster than SHA512. AES is an encryption standard.
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braveheart22 👍 1 Answered CMD5 is generally faster than SHA-512 when it comes to hashing speed. This is because MD5 produces a shorter hash (128 bits) compared to SHA-512 (which produces a 512-bit hash), resulting in less computational overhead. However, it’s important to note that while MD5 is faster, it is considered less secure and more vulnerable to collisions than SHA-512. For applications requiring stronger security, SHA-512 is preferred despite its slower performance.
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BlueMan93 👍 1 Answered CAgree with what everyone else said. MD5 not the most secure, but faster than SHA-256/512.
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