Preferred way to store user passwords: plain hashing, salted hashing, or encryption?

13 Eki 10:00

I'm setting up a new web service and need to decide how to protect stored passwords. The main options I'm considering are: 1) simple unsalted hash (e.g., SHA‑256), 2) salted hash (adding a unique random salt per user), and 3) full encryption of the password field. Each has trade‑offs in terms of security, performance, and recovery. Which approach do you prefer for a typical production environment, and what reasons drive your choice? Looking forward to your thoughts.