title: PHP & MySQL security: one-way encryption Vs two-way encryption
body: <p>I have read about using MySQL AES_ENCRYPT/AES_DECRYPT (two-way encryption) is less secure than using PHP - hash() (one-way encryption).</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://bytes.com/topic/php/answers/831748-how-use-aes_encrypt-aes_decrypt" rel="nofollow">http://bytes.com/topic/php/answers/831748-how-use-aes_encrypt-aes_decrypt</a></p>
  
  <p>Is it true that it is more secure that 'Rather than send the User his password, simply send him a link that he can click on to reset his password, instead.'?</p>
  
  <p>And on top of that, if I am using MySQL AES_ENCRYPT/AES_DECRYPT (which I quite keen on...), how do I define the key which can be accepted by MySQL? for instance, is the length of the key important? or can I simple use '123123@123123' as my key?</p>
  
  <p>thanks!</p>