Hashing and Salting

Hashing is a one-way function that converts data into a fixed-size digest. It is fundamental to password storage, data integrity verification, and digital signatures.

Cryptographic Hash Functions

• SHA-256/SHA-3 - Standard hash functions
• bcrypt/scrypt/Argon2 - Password hashing algorithms (include salt and work factor)

Why Salt?

Salting adds random data before hashing, preventing rainbow table attacks and ensuring that identical passwords produce different hashes.

Password Hashing Best Practices

• Use bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 (not SHA-256 directly)
• Use a unique salt per password
• Use an appropriate work factor/cost parameter
• Never use MD5 or SHA-1 for passwords