A Comprehensive Survey on Password Storage Security

Date

2025-6-16

Author

Oruntak, Murat Can

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Weak password storage practices still are a major vulnerability in modern systems. Despite the rise of alternative authentication methods, passwords remain the most dominant form of access control across various sectors which makes their secure storage essential. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of password storage security, with a focus on common malpractices, attack vectors, established industry standards, and potential future directions. It examines the historical evolution of password storage, highlighting notable breaches and vulnerabilities caused by weak or outdated hashing mechanisms and poor implementation decisions. Key concepts such as hashing and salting are discussed in the context of secure storage architecture, alongside additional measures like peppering and honeywords. Widely accepted standards including NIST guidelines, OWASP recommendations, and ISO/IEC frameworks are reviewed to outline best practices. Finally, the report explores emerging solutions such as passkeys and two factor authentication, aiming to align secure storage mechanisms with modern authentication needs. Through this structured exploration, the study aims to serve as a comprehensive and practical guide to password storage security.

Subject Keywords

Password, Cyber Security, Hash Functions, Password Storage

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/115480

Collections

Graduate School of Informatics, Term Project