gen-define-salting-passwords-and-give-one-short-worked-example-1f50

Define salting passwords and give one short worked example.

# Salting Passwords **Salting** is the practice of adding a random, unique string (called a "salt") to a password before hashing it. This prevents attackers from using pre-computed hash tables (rainbow tables) to crack passwords and ensures that identical passwords produce different hashes. ## Worked Example **Scenario:** Two users choose the same password: `"hello123"` **Without salt:** - User A: `hash("hello123")` → `482c811da5d5b4bc6d497ffa98491e38` - User B: `hash("hello123")` → `482c811da5d5b4bc6d497ffa98491e38` *Problem: Identical hashes reveal users have the same password!* **With salt:** - User A: - Salt: `a1b2c3` - `hash("hello123" + "a1b2c3")` → `7f3d9c8e2a1b5c4d6e8f9a0b1c2d3e4f` - User B: - Salt: `x9y8z7` - `hash("hello123" + "x9y8z7")` → `2e4f6a8c0b1d3e5f7a9c8b6d4e2f0a1b` *Solution: Different salts create different hashes, even for identical passwords!* The salt is stored alongside the hash in the database, so it can be used to verify passwords during login.