Advanced Password Hashing Techniques for Enhancing Web Application Security: A Performance Evaluation of Leading Algorithms

The growing number of data breaches has brought attention to how important it is for web apps to use secure password hashing procedures. The drawbacks of conventional hashing algorithms, such MD5 and SHA-1, which are susceptible to collision attacks, are discussed in this study. We compare the efficiency and collision resistance of many contemporary hashing algorithms, such as BCRYPT and ARGON-2. Our findings show that although traditional algorithms work faster, they are devoid of the security measures required to safeguard private user information. Modern algorithms, on the other hand, offer improved security through memory-hard functions and adjustable computational costs. By highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of different hashing strategies, this paper advances the field and gives developers the knowledge they need to choose password storage options wisely.