An enable password is a Cisco IOS credential for entering privileged EXEC mode. The enable password command stores it as a type 0 cleartext value, which is unacceptable for security. section 11.3.1
Password-storage behavior distinguishes the available configurations:
- enable password password creates a type 0 cleartext password. section 11.3.1
- service password-encryption changes it to type 7 reversible encryption, which remains weak and easily decrypted. section 11.3.1
- Use enable secret instead; it stores a one-way hash, with the algorithm depending on the device model and IOS version. section 11.3.1
Preferred replacement
Configure a hashed privileged password with enable algorithm-type scrypt secret CiscoCCNA. The running configuration displays enable secret 9 followed by the scrypt hash.
