Storing passwords in a secure and encrypted format is crucial for maintaining good cyber security practices. When it comes to Spring Boot applications, it is important to ensure that sensitive information like passwords are not exposed in plain text within properties files. One way to achieve this is by encrypting the password before storing it in the properties file.

To store a password in encrypted format in Spring Boot properties files, you can follow these steps:

1. First, you need to implement a custom encryption algorithm or use a secure encryption library. There are various encryption techniques available, such as AES, RSA, etc.
2. Create a method in your Spring Boot application that takes the plain text password as input and encrypts it using the chosen encryption algorithm.
3. Store the encrypted password in the properties file instead of the plain text password.
4. When the application needs to use the password, decrypt it using the same encryption algorithm.

By storing passwords in encrypted format, you add an extra layer of security to your application, making it harder for malicious actors to access sensitive information. Remember to choose a strong encryption algorithm and keep the encryption/decryption logic secure within your application.