It’s of the utmost importance that PHP programmers safeguard account passwords by using the latest and most secure methods. To that end, PHP 5.5 added a new password-hashing library created by Anthony Ferrara (@ircmaxell). The library makes several functions available that you can use to handle one-way password encryption with current best-practice methods. Other features anticipate future security needs so that as computers and hackers get more advanced, you can stay a step ahead of the bad guys. This article gives you an in-depth introduction to the library’s functions and how to make the best use of them.
via PHP renewed: Password security in modern PHP.
This article takes a look at the improved password handling features of PHP 5.5+. Recommended read for anyone working with PHP apps.