newb Q: security with variables

[Toy]

Could you please explain to me various secure ways of having a python
script store variables such as your password/username in a file.
I understand that you can chmod 0400 <variables.file>, but are there any
other alternatives?

Also, can you run python code with files that don't end with the python
extensions(.py and others)?  That way it would make it less obvious that
it was some sort of script.  Thanks
Jason Toy
toyboy at toy.eyep.net
http://toy.eyep.net