GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies Practice Test

What is a common method for securing passwords in storage?

1. Plain text storage

2. Encryption

3. Base64 encoding

4. Hashing

The correct answer is: Hashing

Hashing is a widely accepted method for securing passwords during storage. It converts the original password into a fixed-length string of characters, which appears random. This transformation is one-way, meaning it cannot easily be reversed to retrieve the original password. This is crucial for protecting user data; even if an attacker gains access to the storage where hashed passwords are kept, they cannot easily retrieve the original passwords. Additionally, reputable hashing algorithms include a process called salting, where a unique value is added to each password before hashing, further increasing security by defending against precomputed attacks, such as rainbow tables. In contrast, options like plain text storage leave passwords vulnerable and unprotected, while encryption, although secure, requires additional steps for key management. Base64 encoding is merely an encoding scheme and doesn’t provide real security, as it can be easily decoded. Hashing represents an industry-standard approach that emphasizes both security and efficiency.