In cybersecurity, salting is a technique used to protect passwords stored in databases by adding a string of random data, known as a salt, to the password before hashing it. The salt is a unique value that is generated randomly and automatically, and it is added to the password to create a different hash value. Salting helps defend against attacks that use precomputed tables, such as rainbow tables, by vastly increasing the size of the table needed for a successful attack). It also helps protect passwords that occur multiple times in a database, as a new salt is used for each password instance).

Salting passwords increases password complexity, making them unique and secure without affecting user experience. It also helps prevent hash table attacks and slows down brute-force and dictionary attacks. When used in conjunction with other cybersecurity principles, such as two-factor authentication, encryption, and password best practices, salted password hashing makes databases more secure.

In summary, salting is a technique used to protect passwords stored in databases by adding a unique string of random data to the password before hashing it. This technique helps defend against attacks that use precomputed tables and protects passwords that occur multiple times in a database. Salting increases password complexity, making them unique and secure without affecting user experience, and it helps prevent hash table attacks and slows down brute-force and dictionary attacks.