title: Securely storing username and password in mysql where php script will need to post fields in clear text
body: <p>I am creating a cron job, that runs a php script that will login onto an external website using curl and scrapes a page to extract data.</p>
  
  <p>Now the question I have is that I need to store the credentials in the database, how can I store this securely. The problem is that the curl script would need to post the username and password in clear text.</p>
  
  <p>The service is similar as to what Mint.com does, ie pulling billing information using users credentials.</p>
  
  <p>Any advice would be appreciated.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>