# Decrypting SPSS files with `pspp decrypt`
+
+SPSS supports encryption using a password for data, viewer, and syntax
+files. `pspp decrypt <INPUT> <OUTPUT>` reads an encrypted file
+`<INPUT>` and writes an equivalent plaintext file `<OUTPUT>`.
+
+Other commands, such as [`pspp convert`](pspp-convert.md), can also
+read encrypted files directly.
+
+PSPP does not support writing encrypted files, only reading them.
+
+> ⚠️ Warning: The SPSS encryption format is insecure: when the password
+> is unknown, it is much cheaper and faster to decrypt a file
+> encrypted this way than if a well designed alternative were used.
+
+## Options
+
+`pspp decrypt` accepts the following options:
+
+* `-p <PASSWORD>`
+ `--password <PASSWORD>`
+ Specifies the password for reading the encrypted input file.
+ Without this option, PSPP will interactively prompt for the
+ password.
+
+ > ⚠️ The password (and other command-line options) may be visible to
+ other users on multiuser systems.