diff --git a/nbfetch/handlers.py b/nbfetch/handlers.py
index cf59291..3cd4b4c 100644
--- a/nbfetch/handlers.py
+++ b/nbfetch/handlers.py
@@ -1,26 +1,24 @@
-from tornado import gen, web, locks
-from tornado.escape import url_escape, url_unescape
-import traceback
-from urllib.parse import urljoin
-
-import threading
 import json
 import os
+import pickle
+import threading
+import traceback
 from pathlib import Path
-from queue import Queue, Empty
-import jinja2
+from queue import Empty, Queue
+from typing import Optional, Tuple
+from urllib.parse import urljoin
+
+from cryptography.fernet import Fernet
 from hsclient import HydroShare
-from .pull import GitPuller, HSPuller
-from .version import __version__
-import pickle
 from jupyter_server.base.handlers import JupyterHandler
 from jupyter_server.extension.handler import (
-    ExtensionHandlerMixin,
-    ExtensionHandlerJinjaMixin,
+    ExtensionHandlerJinjaMixin, ExtensionHandlerMixin,
 )
+from tornado import gen, locks, web
+from tornado.escape import url_escape, url_unescape
 
-# typing imports
-from typing import Optional, Tuple
+from .pull import GitPuller, HSPuller
+from .version import __version__
 
 
 class ExtensionHandler(
@@ -52,12 +50,10 @@ def get(self):
 
     @gen.coroutine
     def post(self):
-        pwfile = os.path.expanduser("~/.hs_pass")
-        userfile = os.path.expanduser("~/.hs_user")
-        with open(userfile, "w") as f:
-            f.write(self.get_argument("name"))
-        with open(pwfile, "w") as f:
-            f.write(self.get_argument("pass"))
+        username = self.get_argument("name")
+        password = self.get_argument("pass")
+        # cache the user account
+        UserAccountHandler.save_account(username, password)
         self.redirect(url_unescape(self.get_argument("next", "/")))
 
 
@@ -341,9 +337,9 @@ def login(self):
 
         if hs is None:
             # If oauth fails, we can log in using
-            # user name and password.  These are saved in
+            # username and password.  These are saved in
             # files in the home directory.
-            username, password = _get_user_authentication()
+            username, password = UserAccountHandler.get_account()
             try:
                 hs = self.check_auth(username=username, password=password)
                 if hs is None:
@@ -441,32 +437,56 @@ def get(self):
         self.flush()
 
 
-def _get_user_authentication() -> Tuple[Optional[str], Optional[str]]:
-    """retrieve HS authentication from standard locations(see below) as tuple of username and
-    password. If either cannot be located, both tuple members are be None.
+class UserAccountHandler:
+    """Handler for saving and retrieving user account information
 
-    Note: files take precedence over environment variables
+    Note: files take precedence over environment variables. If the keyfile does not exist, the user
+    and password will be retrieved from environment variables.
     standard file locations:
+        `~/.hs_key`
         `~/.hs_user`
         `~/.hs_pass`
     standard environment variables:
         `HS_USER`
         `HS_PASS`
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    Tuple[Optional[str], Optional[str]]
-        username, password
     """
+    keyfile = Path("~/.hs_key").expanduser()
     userfile = Path("~/.hs_user").expanduser()
     pwfile = Path("~/.hs_pass").expanduser()
 
-    user = (
-        userfile.read_text().strip()
-        if userfile.exists()
-        else os.getenv("HS_USER", None)
-    )
+    @classmethod
+    def save_account(cls, username: str, password: str) -> None:
+        key = Fernet.generate_key()
+        with open(cls.keyfile, "wb") as f:
+            f.write(key)
+        cypher = Fernet(key)
+        encrypted_user_name = cypher.encrypt(username.encode())
+        encrypted_password = cypher.encrypt(password.encode())
+        with open(cls.userfile, "wb") as f:
+            f.write(encrypted_user_name)
+        with open(cls.pwfile, "wb") as f:
+            f.write(encrypted_password)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_account(cls) -> Tuple[Optional[str], Optional[str]]:
+        if cls.keyfile.exists():
+            key = cls.keyfile.read_bytes()
+        else:
+            # if the keyfile does not exist, we cannot decrypt the user and password
+            # check for user and password in environment variables
+            return os.getenv("HS_USER", None), os.getenv("HS_PASS", None)
+
+        cipher = Fernet(key)
+        if cls.userfile.exists():
+            user_encrypted = cls.userfile.read_bytes()
+            user = cipher.decrypt(user_encrypted).decode()
+        else:
+            user = os.getenv("HS_USER", None)
 
-    pw = pwfile.read_text().strip() if pwfile.exists() else os.getenv("HS_PASS", None)
+        if cls.pwfile.exists():
+            pw_encrypted = cls.pwfile.read_bytes()
+            pw = cipher.decrypt(pw_encrypted).decode()
+        else:
+            pw = os.getenv("HS_PASS", None)
 
-    return user, pw
+        return user, pw
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 23759ee..43aa641 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     packages=find_packages(),
     include_package_data=True,
     platforms="any",
-    install_requires=["notebook==6.4.6", "tornado", "hsclient", "jupyter_server"],
+    install_requires=["notebook==6.4.6", "tornado", "hsclient", "jupyter_server", "cryptography==3.4.8"],
     extras_require={"develop": ["pytest", "pytest-jupyter"]},
     data_files=[
         (