---
title: Changing default settings
description: For security reasons, you should change the default master key and passwords in API Security Enforcer (ASE).
component: pingintelligence
version: 5.2
page_id: pingintelligence:pingintelligence_reference_guide:pingintelligence_changing_default_settings
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingintelligence/5.2/pingintelligence_reference_guide/pingintelligence_changing_default_settings.html
revdate: April 3, 2024
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
  example: Example:
  example-2: Example:
  example-3: Example:
  example-4: Example:
  example-5: Example:
---

# Changing default settings

For security reasons, you should change the default master key and passwords in API Security Enforcer (ASE).

## About this task

To change the default values:

## Steps

1. Stop ASE by running the `stop.sh` command.

   ### Example:

   ```
   /opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/stop.sh -u admin –p admin
   checking API Security Enforcer status…sending stop request to ASE. please wait…
   API Security Enforcer stopped
   ```

   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
   | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | If you try to generate your `ase_master.key` in step 2 without stopping ASE, you see the following:+```
   /opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/cli.sh admin generate_obfkey -u admin -p admin
   API Security Enforcer is running. Please stop ASE before generating new obfuscation master key
   ``` |

2. To change the default `ase_master.key`, run the `generate_obfkey` command.

   You must have the `ase_master.key` to obfuscate keys and passwords in ASE.

   ### Example:

   ```
   /opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/cli.sh -u admin -p admin generate_obfkey
   Please take a backup of config/ase_master.key, config/ase.conf,
   config/abs.conf, config/cluster.conf before proceeding
   Warning: Once you create a new obfuscation master key, you should
   obfuscate all config keys also using cli.sh obfuscate_keys
   Warning: Obfuscation master key file /opt/pingidentity/ase/config/ase_master.key already exist.
   This command will delete it create a new key in the same file
   Do you want to proceed [y/n]:
   ```

3. To obfuscate all keys and passwords with the new `ase_master.key`, enter the keys and passwords in `ase.conf`, `abs.conf`, and `cluster.conf` in clear text and run the obfuscation commands.

   For more information on obfuscation, see [Obfuscating keys and passwords](pingintelligence_obfuscating_keys_and_passwords.html).

4. After a generating a new `ase_master.key`, start ASE by running the `start.sh` command.

   ### Example:

   ```
   /opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/start.sh
   Starting API Security Enforcer 4.1...
   please see /opt/pingidentity/ase/logs/controller.log for more details
   ```

5. To change the keystore password, run the `update_keystore_password` command.

   ASE must be running to update the keystore password. The default password is `asekeystore`.

   ### Example:

   ```
   /opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/cli.sh update_keystore_password -u admin -p admin
   New password >
   New password again >
   keystore password updated
   ```

6. To change the default admin password, run the `update_password` command.

   ### Example:

   ```
   /opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/cli.sh update_password -u admin
   Old password >
   New password >
   New password again >
   Password updated successfully
   ```

   You can change the password on a single ASE node and propagate the change to other nodes in the ASE cluster. For more information, see [Propagate changed password](pingintelligence_delete_uuid.html).

   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
   | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | You must update any change in the ASE admin password by adding the new password in the PingIntelligence for APIs Dashboard. Add the new password to the `<pi_install_dir>/webgui/config/webgui.properties` file and obfuscate it. |