Final answer:
The subject of this question is Computers and Technology, specifically in the context of data security and hashing. Hashing is a mathematical process used to convert data into a fixed-size string of characters. Adding a random salt to a hashing operation helps protect passwords from reverse-hashing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is Computers and Technology, specifically in the context of data security and hashing. Hashing is a mathematical process of converting data of any size into a fixed-size string of characters. It is commonly used in computer science, cryptography, and cybersecurity to protect sensitive information like passwords.
The mechanism of adding extra, random data to a hashing operation is called a salt. A salt is used to make the hash unique and unpredictable, making it harder for attackers to reverse-engineer the original data. By incorporating a salt, hashed passwords become more resistant to password cracking techniques like precomputed rainbow tables.
For example, suppose we have two users with the same password but different salts. Without the salt, their hashed passwords would be identical, revealing the password if someone managed to reverse-hash it. However, by including a random salt, the resulting hashes will be different, adding an extra layer of security to the stored passwords.