> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://zero-day-archives.gitbook.io/zero-day-archives/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://zero-day-archives.gitbook.io/zero-day-archives/password-attacks-1/password-attacks/identifying-hashes.md).

# Identifying Hashes

### **Introduction**

Hashes are one of the primary methods of storing sensitive data like passwords. The ability to identify the type of hash is crucial when attempting to crack password hashes or for performing password auditing. For both Linux and Windows environments, hash identifiers can help determine the algorithm used to generate the hash, enabling security professionals to choose the appropriate cracking tool.