# PBKDF2 Generator Generate PBKDF2 key derivation hash > Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pbkdf2-generator - **Category:** Cryptography - **Keywords:** pbkdf2, hash, password, security, key derivation, cryptography ## Overview The PBKDF2 Generator is a secure cryptographic utility designed to derive strong, cryptographically sound keys from passwords using the Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2 (PBKDF2) standard. ## Inputs - **Password** (text): Enter password to derive key from... - **Salt (hex)** (text): Enter salt in hex format (leave empty to generate random) - **Hash Algorithm** (select) - **Iterations** (number): Number of iterations (1000-1000000) - **Key Length (bytes)** (number): Derived key length in bytes (16-64) ## When to use - When you need to securely store user passwords by hashing them with a salt and high iteration count. - When implementing key derivation for data encryption to protect against brute-force attacks. - When verifying password integrity across different systems using standardized cryptographic parameters. ## How it works - Enter your source password and an optional hexadecimal salt to begin the derivation process. - Select your preferred hash algorithm (SHA256, SHA512, or SHA1) based on your security requirements. - Adjust the iteration count and key length to balance between performance and resistance to computational attacks. - Click generate to produce the final derived key in a secure, standardized format. ## Use cases - Strengthening password storage in web applications to mitigate the impact of database leaks. - Generating encryption keys from user-provided passphrases for local file protection. - Standardizing key derivation processes for cross-platform authentication systems. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is PBKDF2? PBKDF2 is a key derivation function that applies a pseudorandom function to an input password along with a salt, repeating the process many times to make brute-force attacks computationally expensive. ### Why should I use a salt? A salt adds unique, random data to the password before hashing, which prevents attackers from using precomputed rainbow tables to crack passwords. ### What is the recommended number of iterations? While the tool supports up to 1,000,000 iterations, current security standards generally recommend at least 100,000 to 600,000 iterations depending on your hardware and performance needs. ### Is my password stored on your server? No, this tool performs all cryptographic operations locally in your browser, ensuring your sensitive data is never transmitted or stored. ### Which hash algorithm should I choose? SHA256 or SHA512 are recommended for modern applications as they provide higher security margins compared to the older SHA1 algorithm. ## Related tools - [Bcrypt Generator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/bcrypt-generator): Generate bcrypt hash from password - [Scrypt Generator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/scrypt-generator): Generate Scrypt hash from password - [Hash Generator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/hash-generator): Generate hash values (MD5, SHA1, SHA256, SHA512) - [Argon2 Password Hash Generator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/argon2-password-hash-generator): Generate Argon2id password hashes with tunable memory, iterations, parallelism, salt length, and PHC output - [PBKDF2 Validator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/pbkdf2-validator): Validate password against PBKDF2 derived key - [TOTP / HOTP Offline Code Generator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/totp-hotp-offline-generator): Generate RFC 6238 TOTP (time-based, 6/8 digits, 30/60s step) and RFC 4226 HOTP (counter-based) one-time passwords from a base32 shared secret, fully offline with HMAC-SHA1/256/512, plus an otpauth:// URI for importing into Google Authenticator / Authy - [Audio Fingerprint Generator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-fingerprint-generator): Generate an acoustic fingerprint of an audio file - [Bcrypt Validator](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/bcrypt-validator): Validate password against bcrypt hash ## Samples - [Android Image Processing Java Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/android-image-processing-java): Android Java image processing examples including reading/saving images, scaling, and format conversion - [Android Image Processing Kotlin Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/android-image-processing-kotlin): Android Kotlin image processing examples including reading/saving images, scaling, and format conversion - [Web Image Processing Python Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-python): Web Python image processing examples using PIL/Pillow including reading, saving, resizing, and format conversion - [Web Image Processing Rust Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-rust): Web Rust image processing examples including image read/save, scaling, and format conversion ## Related content - [Credential and JWT Security Workflow](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/auth-token-security): Generate or validate password credentials and inspect JWT security signals without treating key pairs as passwords.