Scrypt
Scrypt is a password-based key derivation function (KDF) designed to be computationally intensive and memory-hard, making it resistant to brute-force attacks using specialized hardware like ASICs or GPUs. It was created by Colin Percival in 2009 and is widely used for password hashing and key derivation in cryptographic applications, such as securing cryptocurrencies like Litecoin and password storage systems. The algorithm requires significant memory and processing time, which helps protect against parallelized attacks by increasing the cost of computation.
Developers should learn and use Scrypt when they need to securely hash passwords or derive cryptographic keys in applications where resistance to hardware-accelerated attacks is critical, such as in cryptocurrency mining, password authentication systems, or any scenario requiring strong security against brute-force attempts. It is particularly valuable in environments where attackers might use custom hardware, as its memory-hardness makes such attacks more expensive and less feasible compared to simpler hashing algorithms like SHA-256.