Introduction To Checksums And Hashing 101

Speaker: Larry Hastings

Room: HC 108

Time: Sun 11:20 am – 11:50 am

Format: Lecture (30 Min + Q&A)

Difficulty: Introductory

Track: Development & Dev Tools

Presenter Location: In-person

Experience: umpteenth time speaking

At: anywhere

Description:

What are checksums? What’s a hash? And why are they everywhere? If you use a computer, you rely on checksums constantly — from data storage and retrieval to digital security. This session introduces the fundamentals of checksums and hashing in a friendly, accessible way.

Larry will explain what these mechanisms are, how they work at a high level, and the many ways they’re used in modern computing. The talk includes only a tiny bit of math and maybe some very simple programming, making it perfect for curious minds who want to understand the invisible tools that keep our digital world running.

Target Audience:

Technically‑minded curious folks