While the use of filters and validating data is one part of the security process, a web developer should be aware that Randomization, Obfuscation, and Cryptography in PHP can make a difference in the security of web applications. This tutorial will guide you through some simple techniques at creating and using random or unique values within your web applications, taking a look and applying some general obfuscation techniques, and looking deeper into the science of Cryptology and it’s use within PHP.
In my last tutorial, ‘A Better Login System‘, a few people commented on how they would like to see a tutorial on password recovery, which is something you don’t always see in user access tutorials. The tutorial I am bringing you today will deal with just that. Using mySQLi, we will learn to recover unencrypted and (one-way) encrypted passwords.