Storing Passwords Securely in ASP.NET Core
Passwords are the first line of defense in any application, yet storing them incorrectly can lead to devastating breaches. ASP.NET Core Identity handles the heavy lifting with PBKDF2 hashing, per-user salts, and the IdentityV3 format — but only if you use it correctly. This article covers how Identity stores passwords, why plain text and naive encryption fail, how salting and optional peppering work, configuring strength policies, preventing reuse, enforcing periodic changes, email confirmation, and HTTPS — with practical code examples throughout.