Password hashing in Node.js with bcrypt

Password hashing in Node.js using bcrypt is a secure method to protect user credentials by converting plaintext passwords into an irreversible string sequence, distinguishing it from reversible encryption. Bcrypt, built on the Blowfish cipher, is specifically designed to be slow, providing robust protection against brute-force attacks and utilizing salting to counter rainbow table attacks by appending a unique, randomly generated string to each password before hashing. The hashing process involves a cost factor that determines the time required to generate a hash, balancing security with performance. The bcrypt library in Node.js allows developers to easily implement password hashing and verification using a simple API, offering functions like `genSalt` and `hash` for creating secure hashes and `compare` for validating passwords. Alongside hashing, developers are encouraged to adopt best security practices, such as promoting longer passwords, optimizing the hashing cost factor, and employing additional security measures like two-factor authentication, data encryption, and regular security audits to enhance overall system security.