What is the strongest option for securely storing user-created passwords in an application?

The strongest method for securely storing user-created passwords is Bcrypt. Bcrypt is specifically designed for password hashing and includes built-in features that enhance security compared to general hashing or encryption methods.

Bcrypt operates by applying a key derivation function, which incorporates a salt to protect against rainbow table attacks and makes it computationally intensive to brute force due to its adjustable work factor. This means that as hardware advances and becomes faster, the work factor can be increased to ensure the hashing process remains secure against increasingly powerful attacks.

In contrast, options like MD5 and SHA-512 are cryptographic hash functions that were not designed with password storage in mind and lack the necessary protections against the specific threats posed to stored passwords. MD5, in particular, is considered highly insecure due to its vulnerability to collision attacks and quick hashing speed, which facilitates brute-force attempts. SHA-512, while more secure than MD5, still does not incorporate salts or a work factor that adapts to potential increases in processing power.

AES encryption, while strong for encrypting data, is not a suitable method for storing passwords because it is reversible; the encrypted data can be decrypted back to its original state. Password storage should be one-way (irreversible) to ensure that