In what scenarios would using AES_ENCRYPT() and AES_DECRYPT() be a better option than MD5 encryption for sensitive data in PHP scripts?

Using AES_ENCRYPT() and AES_DECRYPT() functions in PHP scripts would be a better option than MD5 encryption for sensitive data when you need to encrypt and decrypt data that may need to be retrieved in its original form. AES encryption provides a more secure way of protecting data as it requires a key to encrypt and decrypt the data, whereas MD5 encryption is a one-way hashing function that cannot be reversed. Therefore, if you need the ability to decrypt the data later on, AES encryption would be the more suitable choice. 

// Encrypt sensitive data using AES_ENCRYPT()
$key = 'secret_key';
$data = 'sensitive_data';
$encrypted_data = AES_ENCRYPT($data, $key);

// Decrypt the encrypted data using AES_DECRYPT()
$decrypted_data = AES_DECRYPT($encrypted_data, $key);

echo $decrypted_data;

Keywords

AES_ENCRYPT AES_DECRYPT MD5 encryption sensitive data PHP scripts

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