How can the use of salts in hashing improve the security of server communication in PHP?

Using salts in hashing can improve the security of server communication in PHP by adding an extra layer of protection to passwords. Salting involves adding a unique random string to each password before hashing it, making it harder for attackers to crack passwords using techniques like rainbow tables. This technique increases the complexity of the hashed passwords, making them more secure.

// Generate a random salt
$salt = bin2hex(random_bytes(16));

// Combine the password with the salt and hash it
$hashedPassword = hash('sha256', $password . $salt);

// Store the hashed password and salt in the database