<![CDATA[Ensuring the integrity of Smart Grid data is essential for preventing unauthorized data modification during transmission and storage. Cryptographic hash functions provide an efficient mechanism for integrity verification; however, their diffusion characteristics and computational performance under identical conditions require further evaluation. This study experimentally compares SHA-256, SHA3-256, and BLAKE2b-256 for Smart Grid data integrity verification using avalanche effect analysis, hash consistency evaluation, and computational performance benchmarking with a standardized 256-bit digest length. The results show that all evaluated algorithms achieved avalanche effect values close to the theoretical 50% criterion (SHA-256: 49.97%, SHA3-256: 49.96%, and BLAKE2b-256: 50.04%) and maintained a 100% hash consistency rate, indicating comparable diffusion capability and deterministic behavior. In terms of computational performance, BLAKE2b-256 achieved the shortest average execution time (11.14 ms), outperforming SHA-256 (13.24 ms) and SHA3-256 (16.87 ms). These findings indicate that all evaluated algorithms are suitable for Smart Grid data integrity verification, while BLAKE2b-256 provides the highest computational efficiency under the experimental conditions. The results are limited to the experimental evaluation of cryptographic hash function behavior and do not represent a comprehensive assessment of Smart Grid cybersecurity.]]>
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