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cSHAKE256 Hash Generator

Generate cSHAKE256 (Customizable SHAKE256) hashes online. NIST SP 800-185, 256-bit security. Set function name (N), customization string (S), and output length. KMAC256 is built on cSHAKE256.

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Related Hash Tools

cSHAKE256 FileHash from file cSHAKE128128-bit security cSHAKE SHAKE256Basic SHAKE256 XOF KMAC256Keyed MAC from cSHAKE256 SHA3-512Fixed SHA3-512

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cSHAKE256?
cSHAKE256 is a customizable XOF from NIST SP 800-185, providing 256-bit security. It extends SHAKE256 with N (function name) and S (customization string) for domain separation.
What is the customization string used for?
The customization string S provides domain separation between different uses of cSHAKE256 within the same protocol, ensuring independent outputs for different purposes.
How does cSHAKE256 relate to KMAC256?
KMAC256 is built on cSHAKE256 by setting N='KMAC' and encoding the key. KMAC256 is designed for keyed hashing (MAC) use cases.

About cSHAKE256 Hash Generator

cSHAKE256 (Customizable SHAKE-256) is the higher-security customizable XOF from NIST SP 800-185 (2017). It uses SHAKE256 as its base, providing 256-bit security and variable output length, with additional domain separation through the function name (N) and customization string (S) parameters.

SP 800-185 Functions

NIST SP 800-185 defines four functions based on cSHAKE: cSHAKE128, cSHAKE256, KMAC128, KMAC256, ParallelHash128, ParallelHash256, TupleHash128, and TupleHash256. cSHAKE256 is the foundation for the higher-security variants of each.

Use in Post-Quantum Cryptography

cSHAKE256 and its derived functions are used in NIST post-quantum cryptography schemes. The ability to produce variable-length outputs with domain separation makes cSHAKE256 a versatile primitive for constructing complex protocols.