Using MD5 for security is much more secure than any encryption algorithm. Since MD5 creates a one way hash, it is not really suitable for situations where decryption back to the source is required. One-way hashing is mostly used for comparing a message that is decrypted against a public key (128 bit MD5 string) to verify that the messages have not been tampered with in anyway.

For more information on MD5, visit RSA at http://www.rsasecurity.com/rsalabs/faq/3-6-6.html.

HTH,
Tracy


>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.