What is hashing, and how does it work?

Hashing is everywhere, even if you don’t realize it. When you log in to a website, your password is hashed and compared to a stored hash. Signing a document digitally? That’s hashing at work, too. It’s a core concept in computer science, cybersecurity, and database management, designed to turn any input into a fixed-size output. But how does it work, and why is it so widely used? This article explains hashing’s definition, mechanics, and real-world applications.