Ever download a file off the Internet that included a “checksum” with it? A checksum is a way to ensure that a file has not been altered in any way from the original version. Many websites provide checksums along with their setup files so that you can be sure of the integrity of the file.
A file can be altered maliciously or accidentally during transmission. A hacker could theoretically jump in the middle of a request to download a file from a particular server and change it to download from another server that might include a compromised version of the program.
You could use a checksum to ensure that it came from the original source. A checksum is basically a fix-sized value that is calculated by looking at all the bytes used to store a digital file.
If you need to check checksums often, it might be a good idea to download a third party program that can calculate and verify checksums for you.
Marxio File Checksum Verifier is a free portable application that you can use to quickly calculate the checksum of any file and compare it with the original.
The program supports all of the major checksum types including the ones below:
- CRC32
- MD4
- MD5
- SHA1
- SHA-256
- SHA-384
- SHA-512
- RIPEMD-128
- RIPEMD-160
- HAVAL 256
- TIGER 192
To calculate a checksum for a file, just drag and drop it onto the form.
The program also has optional integration with Explorer that will create a custom context menu for quickly calculating checksums.
You can also save any checksum to a file and use that later on for verification purposes.
Overall, it’s a useful program for any hardcore IT people who work with checksums a lot. Also, if you’re sending a file to a friend, you can calculate the checksum, send the checksum to your friend, then have them verify it after it’s downloaded. Enjoy! [via MyDigitalLife]
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