Bcrypt Password Hash – A Secure Way to Protect Passwords
- June 3, 2025
- 0
With the fast adaption of digitalization, securing user data is non-negotiable but a must and that starts with password security. If you’re a developer or just someone concerned about online safety, and security, you’ve probably heard of bcrypt. But what is a bcrypt password hash, and why is it considered one of the safest ways to protect passwords?
Let’s break it down in simple and easy-to-understand terms.
Bcrypt is a cryptographic hashing algorithm designed specifically for the secure storage of passwords. It was created based on the Blowfish cipher and introduced in 1999 to make brute-force attacks more challenging.
So, when we say or hear a password is “ bcrypt with hashed,” It means it’s converted into a secure, scrambled string of characters that’s nearly impossible to reverse.
Bcrypt works by transforming your password into a scrambled, irreversible string using a technique called hashing, but it does so in a way that’s much safer than older methods.
Here’s how bcrypt ensures security in a few simple steps:
Before hashing the password, bcrypt adds a random string of characters called a salt. Salt is unique every time and makes sure that even if two users have the same password, their hashes will be completely different.
Example:
Hashing “mypassword” twice will give you two different results because of different salts.
This defeats common hacking tactics like rainbow table attacks (pre-computed lists of hashes for known passwords).
Bcrypt lets you set a “cost factor” (sometimes called the rounds or log rounds) which controls how long it takes to process the hash.
The higher the cost factor, the slower the hash is to compute. This intentional delay is what protects from brute-force attacks. If a hacker tries millions of guesses, each one will take longer slowing them down dramatically.
Example:
You choose the cost based on your system’s performance and desired security.
Bcrypt combines the salted password with the cost factor and applies its hashing algorithm. The result is a 60-character string, which contains:
Example output:
Perl
CopyEdit
When a user logs in, bcrypt doesn’t try to “decrypt” anything. Instead, it:
If they match, the password is correct.
This built-in complexity is one reason why bcrypt passwords are more secure than traditional hash methods like MD5 or SHA-1.
Hashing a password means turning it into an unreadable format which can’t be turned back into the original password. You can use libraries like:
Once hashed, a password becomes something like:
$2b$12$Wz7wClxYfE5XBzYkYzVMEOKjIQmjKpNEePu4U3HFoK/u2Ex0ZB1g2
Looks complex, right? That’s the point.
There are plenty of tools available online and libraries that act as a bcrypt password encoder. When you provide a password, it returns a secure hash. These tools are key for developers as they help to safely handle user passwords in registration or login systems.
Each time you hash the same password, the output will be different, thanks to salting.
This is a common question that is always asked on the Internet:
“Can I use a bcrypt hash decrypt tool or a hash password decoder to get back the original password?”
And the answer is No.
Bcrypt is a one-way function that is designed to be irreversible. Due to this, there’s no such thing as a true bcrypt hash decrypt tool. The only way to “guess” a password is by brute force. This means trying millions of combinations but because of bcrypt’s slow hashing, that’s extremely difficult.
When you sign up for a website, your password is hashed not stored in plain text. While logging, the system hashes the password you enter and compares it to the stored hash. If they match, you’re in and good to go.
That’s how bcrypt password hashes protect your data even if hackers steal the database, they can’t easily retrieve the original password.
Let’s quickly compare:
Algorithm | Salting | Adjustable Cost | Designed for Passwords | Speed |
MD5 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Fast (bad) |
SHA-256 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Fast (bad) |
Bcrypt | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Slow (good) |
Bcrypt is intentionally slow and secure, making it ideal for password protection.
If dealing with user credentials, bcrypt password hash should be your default choice. It’s battle-tested, secure, and widely supported across all major programming languages.
Understanding how bcrypt works helps you build safer applications and helps users trust that their data is in good hands.