Which option best describes the purpose of salting a password hash?

The purpose of salting a password hash is to make each hashed password unique, even if the original passwords are the same. Salting involves adding a random value, known as a salt, to the password before hashing it. This ensures that two identical passwords will produce different hashes because the salt value will differ for each hash. This uniqueness enhances security by preventing attackers from using precomputed hash tables, such as rainbow tables, to crack passwords.

By salting the hashes, even if multiple users choose the same password, the stored hash values in the database will be distinct due to the different salt values. This significantly increases the difficulty for attackers attempting to gain unauthorized access, as they cannot rely on reused or predictable hash values. The complexity introduced by salts contributes to a more robust password hashing mechanism, making it a critical practice in secure password management.