What term is best described as random bits added to a password hash to help safeguard passwords in storage?

The term that best describes random bits added to a password hash to enhance the security of passwords stored in a database is salt. Salt is a unique, randomly generated value that is combined with the password before it undergoes the hashing process. This practice is crucial for preventing various attacks, particularly rainbow table attacks, which exploit precomputed hash values for common passwords. By incorporating salt, even if two users have the same password, the resulting hashes will be different due to the unique salt values, thereby significantly increasing the security of the stored passwords.

The concept of nonce pertains more to systems involving unique numbers that ensure freshness in cryptographic protocols rather than password storage. A hash refers to the output of a cryptographic hashing algorithm and does not involve the addition of random data for security purposes. A key is used for encryption and decryption processes but does not relate specifically to password hashing techniques. Thus, salt clearly stands out as the essential component that fortifies the password hashing strategy.