In the domain of digital security, password hashing stands as a critical line of defense against unauthorized access.
The landscape of hashing algorithms has evolved significantly, with some methods becoming obsolete and newer, more secure techniques emerging.
This article delves into why traditional methods like SHA-512 are no longer sufficient, the importance of salting and slowing down hashing processes, and provides practical Java code examples for modern password hashing techniques.
Salting involves adding a random string to each password before hashing.
Modern password hashing algorithms intentionally slow down the hashing process to deter attacks.
Computationally Intensive Hashing Multiple Iterations: These algorithms apply the hashing function many times.
Adjustable Work Factor: In algorithms like BCrypt, there is a work factor or cost parameter that determines how many times the hashing loop runs.
Rainbow Table Attacks: Since each password hash is salted with a unique value, precomputed tables of hashes become useless.
Real-World Impact Legitimate User Experience: For legitimate users, the extra time taken by these hashing algorithms is negligible during login or account creation.
What might have taken days with older hashing methods could take years with modern algorithms, effectively rendering brute-force attacks impractical for strong passwords.
BCrypt is a widely used hashing algorithm that automatically handles salting and is intentionally slow to hinder brute-force attacks.
Argon2, the winner of the 2023 Password Hashing Competition, offers customizable resistance against GPU and memory-based attacks.
To verify a password using any hashing algorithm, the typical approach is to hash the input password using the same algorithm and parameters that were used when the original password hash was created.
For Argon2, you will need to store the salt and other parameters used to hash the password originally.
Use these to hash the input password and compare it with the stored hash.
Similar to Argon2, you need to store the salt and other parameters used during the original hashing.
Use the same salt to hash the input password and compare the hashes.
For SHA-512, and generally for other hashing algorithms without built-in verification methods, ensure you implement secure comparison to avoid timing attacks.
Always securely store the salt and, when necessary, other parameters alongside the hashed password.
Employing modern password hashing techniques like BCrypt, Argon2, and PBKDF2 is essential for safeguarding user data.
This Cyber News was published on feeds.dzone.com. Publication date: Fri, 22 Dec 2023 21:13:04 +0000