Password cracking programs reverse the hashing process to recover passwords. (True/False.)

Cryptographic hash functions are, by design, one-way functions. This means that it is computationally infeasible to reverse the process—that is, to derive the original input (the password) from its output (the hash). Password cracking programs do not reverse the hash. Instead, they work by taking a candidate password (a guess), applying the same hashing algorithm to it, and comparing the resulting hash with the target hash. If the hashes match, the guessed password is correct. This process is repeated with many guesses.

True: This option is incorrect because it misrepresents how both hashing algorithms and password cracking tools function. Reversing a secure hash is considered computationally impossible.

- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2015). FIPS PUB 180-4, Secure Hash Standard (SHS). Section 4, "Properties of Secure Hash Algorithms," describes the one-way (preimage resistance) property, which makes it infeasible to find the message from the hash.

- Katz, J., & Lindell, Y. (2014). Introduction to Modern Cryptography (2nd ed.). CRC Press. Chapter 5, "Hash Functions and Applications," formally defines the preimage resistance property of cryptographic hash functions.

- Paar, C., & Pelzl, J. (2010). Understanding Cryptography: A Textbook for Students and Practitioners. Springer. Chapter 11, "Hash Functions," explains that a core security property is preimage resistance, preventing reversal.