Syntax:
SHA1(str), SHA(str)

Calculates an SHA-1 160-bit checksum for the string, as described in
RFC 3174 (Secure Hash Algorithm). The value is returned as a string of
40 hexadecimal digits, or NULL if the argument was NULL. One of the
possible uses for this function is as a hash key. See the notes at the
beginning of this section about storing hash values efficiently. You
can also use SHA1() as a cryptographic function for storing passwords.
SHA() is synonymous with SHA1().

The return value is a nonbinary string in the connection character set.

URL: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/encryption-functions.html

