File checksums are fingerprint-like fixed data strings assigned to files when they are saved. Checksum algorithms, such as SHA1 and SHA512, are used to monitor checksum files to detect accidental modification of a file, such as corruption during the storage or transmission process. These algorithms match checksums against each other to look for discrepancies; if any exist, the file is known to have been modified.
The File Properties Monitor can monitor a file's current checksum to ensure that it is not been modified by matching the checksum specified in the monitor-configuration to the file's current checksum. If the monitor finds mismatched checksums, you can be alerted that the file has been corrupted.