How to Encrypt Password in Ansible Playbook for Secure Remote Host Connection

In the world of cyber security, protecting sensitive information like passwords is crucial to safeguarding against unauthorized access to systems and data. When working with Ansible Playbooks to automate tasks and manage configurations, it is essential to encrypt passwords to ensure secure communication with remote hosts.

To encrypt passwords in Ansible Playbooks, use Ansible Vault. Ansible Vault provides a secure way to store sensitive data such as passwords, SSH keys, and API tokens. You can create an encrypted file to store the password using the command ansible-vault create password.yml. Enter and confirm the password when prompted.

Once the password is encrypted, you can reference it in your Playbook by using the ansible-vault command followed by the path to the encrypted file. For example, ansible-playbook --ask-vault-pass playbook.yml will prompt you to enter the password to decrypt the file during runtime.

By encrypting passwords in Ansible Playbooks, you add an extra layer of security to your automation scripts and protect sensitive information from unauthorized access. Remember to always follow best practices for password management and security to keep your systems and data safe.