How can PHP beginners ensure they are implementing HASH functions correctly for password security in their web applications?

PHP beginners can ensure they are implementing HASH functions correctly for password security by using a strong hashing algorithm like bcrypt, salting the passwords before hashing them, and securely storing the hashed passwords. This helps protect user passwords from being easily compromised in case of a data breach.

// Hashing a password with bcrypt
$password = "secret_password";
$hashed_password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_BCRYPT);

// Verifying a password
$entered_password = "secret_password";
if (password_verify($entered_password, $hashed_password)) {
    echo "Password is correct!";
} else {
    echo "Password is incorrect!";
}