PBKDF2 Key Derivation
Derive cryptographic keys from passwords using PBKDF2. Configure hash algorithm, iterations, salt, and output key length. All client-side.
Input
A unique salt prevents rainbow table attacks. Use a different salt for each password.
Configuration
OWASP recommends 600,000+ iterations for SHA-256. Higher = slower but more secure.
Derived Key
Enter a password and click Derive Key
100% client-side. Your password never leaves your browser.
Password to Key
Convert any password into a fixed-length cryptographic key for encryption.
Configurable Cost
Set iterations from 1K to 2M. Higher iterations = more brute-force resistance.
Random Salt
Generate cryptographically secure random salts to prevent rainbow tables.
Multiple Hash Functions
SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512 with configurable key lengths.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PBKDF2?
PBKDF2 (Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2) applies a pseudo-random function to a password with a salt, repeating it many times to produce a derived key. The repetition makes brute-force attacks expensive.
How many iterations should I use?
OWASP recommends 600,000+ for SHA-256 (as of 2023). More is always better for security, but increases computation time. 100,000 is the absolute minimum for production.
Why use a salt?
Salts ensure that the same password produces different derived keys. This prevents attackers from precomputing hashes (rainbow tables) and from detecting when two users share the same password.
PBKDF2 vs bcrypt vs Argon2?
Argon2 is the current gold standard (memory-hard). bcrypt is well-established. PBKDF2 is NIST-approved and widely available in Web Crypto API, making it ideal for browser-based derivation.
Use derived keys for encryption
Try our AES Encrypt/Decrypt tool which uses PBKDF2 internally.