---
title: Configure password hashing
description: Configure the cryptographic algorithm used for password hashing.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/enterprise_influxdb/v1/administration/configure/security/configure-password-hashing/
estimated_tokens: 1218
product: InfluxDB Enterprise v1
version: v1
---

# Configure password hashing

By default, InfluxDB Enterprise uses `bcrypt` for password hashing. [FIPS](https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/fips/140/3/final) compliance requires particular hashing alorithms. Use `pbkdf2-sha256` or `pbkdf2-sha512` for FIPS compliance.

## Change password hashing algorithm

Complete the following steps to change the password hashing algorithm used by an existing InfluxDB Enterprise cluster:

1. Ensure all meta and data nodes are running InfluxDB Enterprise 1.10.3 or later.
    
2. In your meta node and data node configuration files, set [`password-hash`](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/administration/config-meta-nodes/#password-hash) to one of the following: `pbkdf2-sha256`, or `pbkdf2-sha512`. Also set [`ensure-fips`](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/administration/config-meta-nodes/#ensure-fips) to `true`.
    
    The `meta.password-hash` setting must be the same in both the data and meta node configuration files.
    
3. Restart each meta and data node to load the configuration change.
    
4. To apply the new hashing algorithm, you must [reset](/enterprise_influxdb/v1/administration/authentication_and_authorization/#reset-a-users-password) all existing passwords in the cluster. Otherwise, the previous algorithm will continue to be used.
    

## Example configuration

**Example data node configuration:**

```toml
[meta]
  # Configures password hashing scheme. Use "pbkdf2-sha256" or "pbkdf2-sha512"
  # for a FIPS-ready password hash. This setting must have the same value as
  # the meta nodes' meta.password-hash configuration.
  password-hash = "pbkdf2-sha256"

  # Configures strict FIPS-readiness check on startup.
  ensure-fips = true
```

**Example meta node configuration:**

```toml
[meta]
  # Configures password hashing scheme. Use "pbkdf2-sha256" or "pbkdf2-sha512"
  # for a FIPS-ready password hash. This setting must have the same value as
  # the data nodes' meta.password-hash configuration.
  password-hash = "pbkdf2-sha256"

  # Configures strict FIPS-readiness check on startup.
  ensure-fips = true
```

## Using FIPS readiness checks

InfluxDB Enterprise outputs information about the current password hashing configuration at startup. For example:

```
2021-07-21T17:20:44.024846Z     info    Password hashing configuration: pbkdf2-sha256;rounds=29000;salt_len=16  {"log_id": "0VUXBWE0001"}
2021-07-21T17:20:44.024857Z     info    Password hashing is FIPS-ready: true   {"log_id": "0VUXBWE0001"}
```

When `ensure-fips` is enabled, attempting to use `password-hash = bcrypt` will cause the FIPS check to fail. The node then exits with an error in the logs:

```
run: create server: passwordhash: not FIPS-ready: config: 'bcrypt'
```

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