Comparing two cryptographic hash algorithms: SHA-512 and whirlpool- a case study on file integrity monitoring

Abstract

SHA-512 and Whirlpool are two distinct hashing algorithms in the cryptography domain. Although they are different, these methods share some characteristics; such as both of them produce secure digests of the same size. In addition, being increasingly used for sustaining the integrity of confidential files. As a result, it is crucial to explore a method to contrast and compare their performance. This paper presents a comparative analysis of SHA-512 and Whirlpool, in terms of: time consumption, avalanche effect, and resistance to collision. It also investigates their suitability in the context of File Integrity Monitoring. Our results reveal that Whirlpool outperforms SHA-512 in the avalanche effect scenario, whereas a comparable resistance to the collision behavior is exhibited. Regarding time consumption, it is slower than SHA-512. However, this positively reflects its resistance to brute force attacks.