How to Salt Passwords?

When it comes to securing passwords, salting is a crucial process to enhance their protection against cyber attacks. Salting involves adding a unique random string of characters to each password before hashing, making it significantly harder for hackers to crack the passwords. To effectively salt passwords, follow these steps:

1. Generate a random salt: Use a cryptographically secure random number generator to create a unique salt for each user.
2. Combine salt with the password: Append or prepend the salt to the user's password before hashing it.
3. Hash the salted password: Use a strong hashing algorithm like bcrypt or SHA-256 to securely hash the combined salted password.
4. Store the salt and hashed password: Save both the salt and the hashed password in your database for future password verifications.

By salting passwords, you add an extra layer of security that can prevent common attacks like rainbow table attacks. Remember that the salt should be unique for each user and should be kept secret alongside the hashed passwords. Implementing proper salting techniques is essential for robust password security.