What is the recommended method for encrypting passwords in MySQL using PHP?

Storing passwords in plain text in a database is a major security risk. To enhance security, passwords should be encrypted before storing them in the database. One common method is to use the password_hash() function in PHP to securely hash the passwords before insertion into the database. This function uses a strong hashing algorithm and automatically generates a random salt for each password, making it difficult for attackers to reverse engineer the passwords.

// Encrypting and storing password in MySQL using PHP
$password = "user_password"; // Password to be encrypted

// Hashing the password using password_hash() function
$hashed_password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

// Inserting the hashed password into the database
$query = "INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES ('user123', '$hashed_password')";
mysqli_query($connection, $query);