What's the Best Password Encryption Alternative After mcrypt Deprecation?

mcrypt Deprecation: Unveiling the Best Password Encryption Alternative

The imminent deprecation of the mcrypt extension in PHP 7.2 has sparked a search for an alternative solution for password encryption. With the need to balance security and retrievability, let's delve into the recommended alternatives.

Password Hashing vs. Encryption

It's crucial to differentiate between password hashing and encryption. Password hashing is irreversible, making it impossible to recover the original password. On the other hand, encryption is reversible, allowing for password recovery.

Recommended Encryption Options

For scenarios where decryptable passwords are required, these options offer strong encryption:

1. Libsodium

This PHP extension provides robust encryption capabilities. It's highly recommended due to its sophisticated algorithms and ease of use.

2. defuse/php-encryption

A pure PHP library, defuse/php-encryption provides a comprehensive solution for secure encryption and decryption. It offers a range of cipher algorithms to choose from.

3. OpenSSL

OpenSSL is a widely available library for encryption. While it may not be as user-friendly as Libsodium or defuse/php-encryption, it's a solid choice for servers that have OpenSSL installed.

Example Code (Using defuse/php-encryption)

To encrypt a password using defuse/php-encryption:

use Defuse\Crypto\Key;
use Defuse\Crypto\Crypto;

$key = Key::createRandomKey();
$encryptedPassword = Crypto::encrypt($password, $key);

To decrypt the password:

$decryptedPassword = Crypto::decrypt($encryptedPassword, $key);

Conclusion

The discontinuation of mcrypt presents an opportunity to adopt more secure and reliable password encryption solutions. By selecting one of the recommended alternatives and implementing encryption in a secure manner, you can enhance the protection of your passwords and safeguard user accounts.

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