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Password Protection

If you have an Apache or Netscape Enterprise Server you can use Basic Authentication with the htpasswd command to password protect a directory. In the Unix prompt type the command:

htpasswd -c /directory/path/.htpasswd USERNAMEHERE

Make sure to change /directory/path/ to the path to the directory you wish to protect, and USERNAMEHERE to the user name you wish to be used. When you do that you will be prompted for a password and will have to enter it twice. The next step is to create a file in the password protected folder that looks like:

AuthUserFile /directory/path/.htpasswd
AuthGroupFile /dev/null
AuthName ByPassword
AuthType Basic

require user USERNAMEHERE

Replace /directory/path/ with the proper path to the directory and USERNAMEHERE to the proper user name. Test what you have to make sure it works and re try the process if necessary.

More information

• Using User Authentication
• Mosaic User Authentication Tutorial

Warning! Basic Authentication does offer a certain level of security but it does not offer strong security. Remember, if hackers can get into the Defense Department your website isn't going to be a problem.