Hack the Hackers 2025 – Master the Certified Ethical Hacker Challenge!

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In encryption, what does "salt" refer to?

A specific type of encryption algorithm

A collection of random bits used in hashing

In the context of encryption and securing data, "salt" refers to a collection of random bits that is added to passwords before they are hashed. This process enhances security by ensuring that even if two users have the same password, the resulting hash will be different due to the unique salt applied to each password. As a result, it becomes significantly more challenging for attackers to use precomputed tables, like rainbow tables, to crack hashed passwords. By incorporating a salt into the hashing process, the security of stored passwords is greatly increased, making it much harder for attackers to reverse-engineer the original passwords.

The other options do not accurately capture the definition and purpose of salt in encryption. Salt is not an encryption algorithm, nor is it directly a method for key exchange or data decryption. Instead, it plays a crucial role in the hashing process to protect passwords against several types of attacks.

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A method for key exchange

A technique for data decryption

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