What term describes an operation that checks the integrity of data?

The term that best describes an operation that checks the integrity of data is hashing. Hashing is a process that transforms input data into a fixed-length string of characters, which is typically a sequence of numbers and letters. This output, known as a hash value or hash code, is unique to the input data. By comparing hash values before and after data transmission or storage, one can confirm that the data has not been altered or corrupted, ensuring its integrity.

Hashing is crucial in various applications, including data storage, authentication, and security protocols, because it allows for efficient data integrity checks without the need to inspect the actual data. If even a single bit of the original data changes, the resulting hash will be completely different, indicating that the data integrity has been compromised.

In contrast, validating data typically involves checking data against a set of rules or criteria to ensure it meets specific requirements but does not inherently assure integrity in the same rigorous way that hashing does. Encryption serves to protect data confidentiality rather than check integrity, while firewalls act as security measures to prevent unauthorized access to networks.