Bcrypt
Bcrypt is a password-hashing function designed for secure password storage by incorporating a salt and a work factor to protect against brute-force attacks. It is based on the Blowfish cipher and is widely used in applications to hash passwords before storing them in databases. The algorithm is intentionally slow and computationally expensive, making it resistant to rainbow table and GPU-based attacks.
Developers should use Bcrypt when building applications that require secure user authentication, such as web apps, APIs, or any system storing sensitive passwords. It is particularly valuable in scenarios where password security is critical, like financial or healthcare applications, as it mitigates risks from data breaches by making password cracking infeasible. Learning Bcrypt is essential for implementing best practices in password security and compliance with standards like OWASP recommendations.