SHA-256 is one of a set of cryptographic hash functions designed by the NSA. The SHA-256 algorithm is often used to produce a hash value (see below) in order to confirm a file’s integrity.   Why do we need a hash value for file downloads? When we download files from the Internet, we need some way of knowing that what we are downloading is an exact copy of what we are expecting to download. We want to know that it hasn’t been altered in any way. Viruses, Trojans, and other nefarious payloads can be added to downloads without the author’s