Plesk backup password protection protects sensitive credentials saved in a backup. It should not be described as encryption of every website file or the entire archive. Private customer content still requires secure storage, restricted access and an appropriate transport method.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What you need before you begin
Choose a strong backup password and place it in a recovery password manager accessible to an authorized administrator. Keep it separate from the archive. Understand which existing backups use which password before rotating it.
01 Protect sensitive credentials in Plesk backups
- Open the relevant subscription Backup & Restore settings. For remote backups, open Remote Storage Settings and find the password-protection section.
- Enable the available password-protection option or choose the change-password control. Enter and confirm a unique password, then save.
- For a downloaded backup, review the password-protection prompt offered by the download workflow. Use the password intended for that archive, rather than assuming the current panel login will decrypt it later.
- Create a new backup and record its date, destination and password reference in your recovery notes. Do not put the password in the filename or backup description.
- Test restoration in a separate suitable environment and confirm how Plesk handles the protected service credentials. Keep older recovery-password references for older archives.
How do I check backup credential protection?
Check that a new job uses the intended protection and that the recovery team can locate the correct password without exposing it publicly. Protect archive contents with storage encryption and access controls where required by your data policy.
Troubleshoot unexpected results
Changing the setting does not re-encrypt every older archive automatically. If the password is missing, Plesk may require replacement service passwords during restoration; this can affect applications, mail and database access. Review the restore prompts and recovery plan before proceeding. Do not repeatedly restore over a live service to guess a password.