>Hi all,
>
>I use encryption to store users passwords in tables (I encrypt the password with the password itself as the key). I wonder if I store the MD5 or SHA1 or anyother hashed string of the password is as safe as encrypting it; for me it's easier to use hashing as I can do direct comparisons.
>
>Regards,
>Javier B.

Hashing is safer. There's no way to go back to the original data with hashing, whereas if the encryption is broken, it yields the original data.