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How are passwords sent over the Internet?
But we can obscure passwords using a technique called hashing. So when the user creates a password, server turns the password into a hash. And rather than storing the password in the database, we store the hash. So when the user logs in next time, they enter their password, which is sent over the network.
How do websites secure passwords?
Instead of storing your password as plain text, a site runs it through a hash function, like MD5, Secure Hashing Algorithm (SHA)-1, or SHA-256, which transforms it into an entirely different set of digits. These can be numbers, letters, or any other characters.
Is it safe to send passwords over HTTPS?
It is safe. That’s how the entire web works. All passwords in forms are always sent in plain text, so its up to HTTPS to secure it. You still need to make sure you send it via POST request, not GET.
How passwords are checked?
Step 1 – A user visits a site and fills in a form to create their username and password. Step 2 – That password is put through a hash function and the hash is stored in the database. Step 5 – The server checks this hash against the one stored for the user in the database.
Can a website see my password?
Instead, the website hashes your password and checks it against its database of hashed passwords. If it matches hash with hash, then it determines that you entered the right password. Websites can’t just email you your password because they don’t know what it is!
Is it bad to send hashed password to server?
As any good site should be using TLS, the fact that the hash is being sent to the server is irrelevant (Note that even if this was a concern sending the plain text password would be just as bad).
Why do we hash passwords on the client side?
Hashing on the client makes sense only if you do not trust the server in some way, and do not want to show it the “actual” password (the one which the human user remembers). Why would you not want to show the password to the very site on which the said password has any use ? Because you have reused the password elsewhere !
Why are passwords weak on server side and client side?
Since passwords are, by definition, weak, you want to thwart dictionary attacks. You assume that the bad guy got a copy of the server database, and will “try passwords” on his own machines (see this blog post for some discussion on this).
How to send a password to a server?
Just send the password “as is” to the server through an HTTPS tunnel (the login page, the form destination URL, and whatever page are protected by the password, shall all be served over SSL, otherwise you have more pressing security issues than the use of passwords).