Every day we use dozens if not hundreds of applications
connecting to some kind of data repository. This simple step is
normally executed over the network and, given so, it is
subject to possible sniffing with all the possible related
consequences.
Given that, it is normally better to protect your connection
using data encryption like SSL, or at the minimum, make the
information you pass to connect less easy to be intercepted.
At the same time, it is a best practice to not store connection
credentials in clear text, not even inside a table in your
database. Doing that is the equivalent of writing your password
on a sticky note on your desk. Not a good idea.
Instead, the main options are either transforming the passwords
to be less identifiable via hashing or storing the information in
an external centralized vault.
In MySQL, the passwords are transformed to not be clear text, and
several different plugins …
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