Is it possible to store encrypted connection string so it can be used from server-side vbscript? Was there an equivalent of web.config in 'the good old days'?
As I dust off the ol' memory banks...
I recall that in classic ASP systems, we would put the connection string (and most other config settings) in the Windows registry, in a custom registry key for the web app. We'd use a COM DLL to read the settings.
You can encrypt the connection string that is stored in the registry, but you will have to roll your own encryption/decryption.
So the answer is yes, it is definitely possible, but there is no easy tooling built into the framework to encrypt/decrypt on the fly, you have to do it yourself.
.Net has all the encryption and decryption code built in so the easiest way to encrypt the string is to use the .Net encryption/decryption functions. Create a .Net component that does the decription and a COM callable wrapper for it which should register it. Then call it from your ASP page.