Passworthash

PasswortHash is the hashed representation of a password, produced by applying a cryptographic hash function to the plaintext password in a way that allows verification without revealing the original password. In practice, a secure password hash includes a salt and a cost or parameter set, so comparing a freshly computed hash to the stored value confirms the password without exposing it.

A secure PasswortHash is not just a digest of the password. It typically uses a per-password random salt to prevent precomputed attacks, and a computational cost factor to slow down guessing attempts. The stored data usually contains the algorithm identifier, the parameters (such as iterations or memory cost), the salt, and the resulting hash. This structure allows systems to verify passwords while allowing parameter updates over time.

Common algorithms used for PasswortHash include PBKDF2, bcrypt, scrypt, and Argon2 (with Argon2id generally recommended for new designs). Some legacy systems rely on plain hash functions like SHA-256, but these require strong salting and high iteration counts and are often less desirable than purpose-built password hashing schemes.

Best practices emphasize using slow, memory-hard functions with per-password random salts; storing all parameters with the hash; choosing appropriate parameters and allowing future upgrades; and relying on reputable libraries to avoid implementation errors. Security considerations include the risk of offline attacks if hashes are compromised, so it is important to use long, complex passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, monitor for abuse, and update hashing parameters as computing capabilities evolve.

In summary, PasswortHash is a secure method for storing and verifying passwords by hashing them with salts and carefully chosen parameters, rather than storing plaintext passwords.