# Plesk Security Update: Legacy Password Encryption Changes

Netracom is continuing to maintain and update our hosting infrastructure to ensure it remains secure, reliable and compatible with current versions of the **Plesk hosting platform**.

As part of recent Plesk upgrades, Plesk has identified that some older hosting accounts may still contain passwords stored using a **deprecated password encryption format**. This primarily affects accounts that were originally created or migrated on older versions of Plesk.

## What is changing?

Plesk's upgrade process now checks for accounts using older password encryption methods. Plesk recommends that affected passwords be changed rather than continuing to use the deprecated format, as leaving them unchanged may cause problems with future upgrades or Plesk repair and maintenance operations.

The affected credentials can potentially include:

* Hosting control panel users
* Email accounts
* FTP and subscription users
* Database users
* Password-protected directories
* Customer or reseller accounts

Netracom will progressively review affected hosting services and update credentials where required.

## Will my website be affected?

**For most customers, no action will be required and websites should continue operating normally.**

However, if an older credential associated with your service needs to be changed, there may be circumstances where you need to update a saved password.

For example:


**Database accounts**
Some websites store database credentials inside their configuration files. If a database password needs to be updated, Netracom will need to ensure the corresponding website configuration is updated at the same time to avoid disruption.

**Plesk / Hosting Portal accounts**
Some users may be required to set a new password when accessing their hosting control panel.

## Is this a security breach?

**No.**

This warning does not indicate that an account has been compromised or that passwords have been exposed.

It indicates that Plesk has detected some credentials stored using an **older encryption method that it now considers deprecated or incompatible with current password handling requirements**. Plesk recommends updating these credentials to prevent potential issues with future platform maintenance.

## What does Netracom need to do?

Where affected accounts are identified, Netracom may reset or update the relevant password using supported Plesk procedures.

Plesk specifically recommends changing affected passwords through the Plesk management interface rather than manually modifying password information directly within the Plesk database.

Where changing a password could affect an active website or service, we will take reasonable steps to coordinate the change and minimise disruption.

## Do I need to do anything now?

**No action is required unless Netracom contacts you regarding a specific service.**

If we identify an account where your involvement is required, we will provide instructions regarding the affected service and any password changes that need to be made.

As always, we recommend using:

* Unique passwords for each service
* Strong passwords generated by a password manager
* Multi-factor authentication where available
* Current versions of email and FTP applications

## Why are we making this change?

Hosting platforms evolve over time and older security mechanisms are progressively retired.

Removing legacy password encryption helps keep Netracom's hosting infrastructure compatible with current and future Plesk releases and reduces the likelihood of problems during future upgrades, maintenance and recovery operations.

Plesk notes that leaving affected passwords unchanged is **not recommended** because they may cause problems with future tools such as `plesk repair`.

### Need assistance?

If you experience difficulty accessing your website, email, FTP account or hosting control panel following a password change, please contact Netracom Support.

**Client Portal:** https://ca.netracom.au
**Support:** [support@netracom.au](mailto:support@netracom.au)
**Website:** https://netracom.au

**Reference:** Plesk Support – *Plesk upgrade shows warning: There are accounts with passwords encrypted using a deprecated algorithm.*