SecurityIntermediate
Hashing
PronunciationHASH-ing
Definition
Turning data into a fixed-length fingerprint that cannot be reversed. It is used to store passwords safely.
Where you hear it
Password storage and data integrity checks.
Examples
We store a hash of the password, never the password itself.
Use bcrypt or Argon2 for passwords.
Common mistake
Mixing up hashing and encryption. You can decrypt encrypted data, but you cannot "un-hash" a hash.