What alternative hashing algorithms can be used instead of MD5 for password security in PHP applications?
Using MD5 for password hashing is not recommended for security reasons as it is considered to be weak and vulnerable to attacks. Instead, PHP applications should use stronger hashing algorithms such as bcrypt or Argon2. These algorithms are designed to be more secure and resistant to brute force attacks.
// Using bcrypt algorithm for password hashing
$hashed_password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_BCRYPT);
// Verifying the password
if (password_verify($password, $hashed_password)) {
// Password is correct
} else {
// Password is incorrect
}