What is the Crypto Module?

The crypto module in Node.js is part of the core libraries, meaning it is built into Node.js and does not require any external dependencies. It provides a way to perform cryptographic operations such as:

• Hashing data to produce fixed-size digests.
• Encrypting and decrypting data using symmetric and asymmetric algorithms.
• Generating cryptographic signatures and verifying them.
• Creating secure random numbers and keys.

These capabilities make the crypto module an essential tool for developing secure applications that require data integrity, confidentiality, and authentication.

The crypto module in Node.js provides cryptographic functionality that includes a set of wrappers for OpenSSL’s hash, HMAC, cipher, decipher, sign, and verify functions. This module enables you to perform various security operations, such as hashing, encryption, and decryption, directly in your Node.js applications. In this article, we will explore what the crypto module is, its key features, and how to use it to perform common cryptographic operations.