When should I use salted hashes?

What are salted hashes and why should I use them?

Salted hashes are hashes that include a unique random value (salt) to protect against attacks. They enhance security by making it harder for attackers to use precomputed hash tables.

When is it necessary to use salted hashes instead of regular hashes?

You should use salted hashes whenever you're storing sensitive information like passwords. They help prevent rainbow table attacks.

Can you give me an example of how to implement salted hashes?

Sure! In languages like Python, you can use libraries like bcrypt or hashlib to create salted hashes easily.

Are there any downsides to using salted hashes?

The main downside is that they require more storage and processing time, but the security benefits usually outweigh these costs.