What is the best way to create a secure hash for PHP passwords?

Web Development
1

I’m building a login system, and I want to make sure that the passwords are stored securely. What is the best way to create a secure hash for passwords in PHP? I’ve heard about different algorithms like MD5 and SHA, but I’m not sure which one is the most secure. Can you recommend a method for creating a secure hash for passwords in PHP?

2

It is essential to use a secure method for storing passwords in a PHP application to protect against password cracking and other security breaches. One of the safest ways to create a hash for passwords in PHP is to use the password_hash function, which is part of the PHP password hashing API.

$password = 'mypassword';
$password_hash = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

// verify password
if (password_verify($password, $password_hash)) {
    // password is correct
} else {
    // password is incorrect
}

The password_hash function uses the bcrypt algorithm to create a secure hash for a password. It is a one-way function, which means it is impossible to reverse the hash and retrieve the original password. This makes it much more secure than other methods like MD5 and SHA, which attackers can easily crack.

The PASSWORD_DEFAULT constant tells the password_hash function to use the bcrypt algorithm, which is currently the most secure option available in PHP. It is designed to change over time as new and stronger algorithms are added to PHP.

Then use the password_verify function to verify that a password matches the hash stored in the database. This function takes the password and the hash as arguments and returns true if the password matches the hash and false if it does not.

3

You can also use PHPass (pronounced “p-hash-pass”), a secure password-hashing library for PHP. It was created by Solar Designer, the author of the well-known Blowfish password hashing algorithm.

$password = 'mypassword';
$hasher = new PasswordHash(8, FALSE);
$password_hash = $hasher->HashPassword($password);

PHPass is designed to be easy to use yet very secure. It uses a flexible and iterative hashing algorithm resistant to brute-force attacks. It can generate hashes with various options, such as adjustable work factors and support for different hashing algorithms.

One of the key features of PHPass is that it uses a “portable” hashing format, which means that the same password hash can be used on different systems or servers without the need to re-hash the password. This is useful for applications that need to be deployed across multiple servers or environments.