Modified SHA-512 Algorithm for Secured Password Hashing

The secure hash algorithm (SHA) is a widely used function for password hashing. This study introduced a modified SHA-512 algorithm by modifying the message scheduling, hash construction, and compression function, and reducing the iterations, as well as examined the modified algorithm's computational efficiency according to the avalanche effect and attack resistance capacity by performing brute-force, rainbow table, dictionary, and online cracking attacks via the Cain and Abel password-cracking tool and CrackStation. The modified SHA-512's avalanche percentage reached 50.84 percent, which is 0.84 percent higher than the target of 50 percent. During experimentation, password cracking attacks failed to crack the hashes generated by the modified algorithm. In addition, the modified algorithm's runtime speed reached an average elapsed time of 3,485 ms, while the original SHA-512 attained 5,384 ms. Hence, the modified SHA-512 algorithm is an efficient and secure method of hashing passwords.