What is a simple way to Encrypt/Secure a Password File?

**Shig** · August 15th, 2009

Usage bcrypt [-orc][-sN] file ...
Encrypted files will be saved with an extension of .bfe. Any files ending in .bfe will be assumed to be encrypted with bcrypt and will attempt to decrypt them. Any other input files will be encrypted. If more than one type of file is given, bcrypt will process all files which are the same as the first filetype given.
By default, bcrypt will compress input files before encryption, remove input files after they are processed (assuming they are processed successfully) and overwrite input files with random data to prevent data recovery.

You should have passwords.bfe instead of passwords after encrypting with bcrypt. If the file does not end in .bfe, bcrypt will encrypt the file, if the file ends in .bfe, bcrypt will decrypt the file.

You may have to rename the file to passwords.bfe, but bcrypt should have done that for you, so check to see if there is a passwords.bfe file.

**mikodo** · August 15th, 2009

Yes Shig, the file is now called Passwords.bfe

As my earlier posts show in the screenshots, I am not able to decrypt it with running bcrypt in terminal nor open it on desktop in any way.

Any ideas?

What does this mean? Usage bcrypt [-orc][-sN] file ...

All is not lost though: A testament to all you geeks out there who have been telling us less informed to backup; backup; backup.... "has paid off in Spades". The PASSWORDS file remains available to me on an external hard drive that I use for backups.

but, let's see if we can figure out my screw up and get me opening the encrypted file.

Thank you.

**mikodo** · August 15th, 2009

Oh well, I restored the PASSWORDS file from backup and renamed it as passwords. Now I have an decrypted file I can open; And a PASSWORD.bfe file I cannot.

If anyone else wants to take a stab at this, I would be appreciative. For all who have given advice, please accept my thanks.

Mikodo

**Ranemills** · August 15th, 2009

Since it became encrypted, have you tried running the original code?

Code:

bcrypt file

I can't see it in any screenshots or maybe you just haven't shown it. From what I see in earlier replies, that is what you need to decrypt it.

This is a quick summary of what's happened and what needs to be done:
From what I can see, the file has a .bfe file extension. This means it is encrypted. Run the command that you used to encrypt it again and the .bfe extension should be removed and you should be able to access it.

**jakupl** · August 15th, 2009

wow this thread is confusing.

To make it clear:

When you decrypt the file again, you must write

Code:

bcrypt <file>.bfe

so remember that the file has gotten an extention.

And beware, if you have one file called "passwords" and one encrypted file called "passewords.bfe", and you decrypt the file, it will overwrite the original "passwords" file.

**mikodo** · August 15th, 2009

Hello everyone,

All is now fine. Following the advice of other posters in this thread, success was found by the following:

Initially I needed to be in the correct directory,so ran

Code:

cd ~/Desktop/Documents

then ran,

Code:

bcrypt PASSWORDS

then entered a Encryption Key twice as prompted,

Now the PASSWORDS file became encrypted as seen in documents as PASSWORDS.bfe

When I wanted to decrypt PASSWORDS.bfe to allow me to open it, I opened terminal and ran again to enter into the correct directory,

Code:

cd ~/Desktop/Documents

then ran,

Code:

bcrypt PASSWORDS.bfe

then, per the prompt, entered the Encryption Key again, and PASSWORDS.bfe was decrypted to PASSWORDS in documents and could be opened.

Following the advice and code from the top, allowed me to encrypt PASSWORDS again, and so on...

Thank you everyone, for your patience and help.