what does **** have to do with password control? If you want the user to provide a password why not ask them for it? You could then add the value to your connection parameters. If this is for a batch routine then hardcoding passswords is not unusual.

print "\tEnter you password: ";
system "stty -echo";
$user_password = <>;
system "stty echo";
chomp $user_password;
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I could lie down like a tired child,
And weep away the life of care
Which I have borne, and yet must bear. Shelley 1792-1822