How can the use of a secret SALT and UserID improve security in PHP authentication processes?

Using a secret SALT and UserID can improve security in PHP authentication processes by adding an extra layer of protection to user passwords. By salting and hashing passwords with a unique SALT value for each user, it makes it more difficult for attackers to crack passwords using common techniques like rainbow tables. Additionally, using a UserID along with the SALT can further enhance security by creating a unique identifier for each user's password hash. 

// Generate a random SALT value for the user
$salt = bin2hex(random_bytes(16));

// Combine the user's password with the SALT and hash it
$hashed_password = hash('sha256', $password . $salt);

// Store the hashed password, SALT, and UserID in the database
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("INSERT INTO users (username, password, salt) VALUES (?, ?, ?)");
$stmt->execute([$username, $hashed_password, $salt]);

Keywords

secret SALT UserID security PHP authentication processes

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