Additional Notes
How does BCrypt’s ‘Work Factor’ enhance password security?
Track: Java
Topic: Authentication
Focus: Salting and BCrypt
Java: Salting and BCrypt
Answer
The 'Work Factor' increases hashing time, making brute-force attacks more difficult.
BCrypt's 'Work Factor' is a parameter that controls the computational cost of hashing a password. Higher work factors make the hashing process slower, which is advantageous because it makes brute-force attacks more time-consuming. This is particularly effective against modern GPU botnets which can perform millions of hashes per second. For example, setting the work factor to 12 means it takes significantly longer to compute each hash, increasing security.
BCrypt's 'Work Factor' is a parameter that controls the computational cost of hashing a password. Higher work factors make the hashing process slower, which is advantageous because it makes brute-force attacks more time-consuming. This is particularly effective against modern GPU botnets which can perform millions of hashes per second. For example, setting the work factor to 12 means it takes significantly longer to compute each hash, increasing security.
Topics: Authentication Java Salting and BCrypt