3.3. Checksum Validation

Checksum validation is used to ensure a downloaded file has not been corrupted. Checksum validation employs algorithms that compute a fixed-size datum (or checksum) from an arbitrary block of digital data. If two parties compute a checksum of a particular file using the same algorithm, the results will be identical. Therefore, when computing the checksum of a downloaded file using the same algorithm as the supplier, if the checksums match, the integrity of the file is confirmed. If there is a discrepancy, the file has been corrupted in the download process.