In this book you will learn how to create strong and secure hashes to protect sensitive passwords and keys.
With the evolution of technology and communications, there is a lot of information flowing everywhere. Since passwords keep our sensitive data secure, password security has become a critical issue, now more than ever, especially with so many malicious hackers trying to take advantage.
There is no such thing as a fully secure web application, there’s always a flaw somewhere waiting to be patched—or exploited. However, there is a well-tested technique that allows us to create a last barrier against intrusions: hashing. By hashing our passwords properly, we can protect our users from hackers. This makes it very hard (almost impossible) for hackers to gain access to their accounts. This technique and some useful hints will be covered in this book.
Creating a simple hash teaches you how to create a basic hash code and how it works.
Creating a strong hash shows you how to create strong hashes using cryptographic secure hash algorithms.
Adding salt to a hash shows the proper use of a salt in order to strengthen the password protection.
Creating a secure hash will teach you how to create the strongest possible hash to provide maximum security to passwords.
The Overview section gives a high level overview to round up the whole authentication process.