How do you secure user passwords?

Short answer: Always hash passwords before storing (never store plaintext). Use strong, slow hashing algorithms like bcrypt, argon2, or scrypt. Add a salt to each password (bcrypt does this automatically). Use libraries like bcrypt: const bcrypt = require('bcrypt');

Example code

const hash = await bcrypt.hash(password, 10); When verifying: const match = await bcrypt.compare(inputPassword, storedHash); Database Integration

Real-world example (ShopNest)

A ShopNest BFF in Node.js aggregates catalog and price APIs for the React storefront.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.