A strong answer
An application normally needs to verify a submitted password, not recover the original password. It stores a password verifier generated with a password-hashing function, a unique salt, and parameters that make guessing expensive. If the database leaks, an attacker must test guesses against those verifiers rather than decrypt a reversible copy of every password.
Encryption is appropriate when the system must recover data and can protect the decryption key. Passwords should not be recoverable in this way. A fast general-purpose hash allows an attacker to test many guesses quickly; password-hashing schemes are deliberately slower or memory-hard, and their parameters need to be reviewed as hardware changes.
After verification, the server creates an authenticated session with a new identifier and protected cookie settings. Authentication establishes identity; authorization still checks permission for each resource and action.
Follow-up direction
Discuss rate limiting and multi-factor authentication as additional controls, then reference current password-storage guidance rather than inventing parameters from memory.