diff --git a/api/data/main.go b/api/data/main.go
index 393ca73..baa44f8 100644
--- a/api/data/main.go
+++ b/api/data/main.go
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 package data
 
-import "github.com/uug-ai/facial-access-control/api/models"
+import (
+	"log"
+
+	"github.com/uug-ai/facial-access-control/api/models"
+	"github.com/uug-ai/facial-access-control/api/utils"
+)
 
 var Users = []models.User{
 	{Id: 0, FirstName: "admin", LastName: "admin", Email: "admin@example.com", Password: "admin", Role: "admin", Language: "en"},
@@ -23,5 +28,14 @@ var Locations = []models.Location{
 		{Id: 4, Name: "Location 4", Address: "Address 4", Lat: 4.0, Lng: 4.0},	
 }
 
-
+// Initialize function to hash passwords
+func Initialize() {
+    for i, user := range Users {
+        hashedPassword, err := utils.Hash(user.Password)
+        if err != nil {
+            log.Fatalf("Error hashing password for user %s: %v", user.Email, err)
+        }
+        Users[i].Password = hashedPassword
+    }
+}
 
diff --git a/api/database/file.go b/api/database/file.go
index 9d1ab8b..c0b852a 100644
--- a/api/database/file.go
+++ b/api/database/file.go
@@ -10,41 +10,33 @@ import (
 
 
 func GetUsersFromFile() []models.User {
-	users := GetUsersWithHashedPasswordFromFile()
-	return users
-}
-
-func GetUsersWithHashedPasswordFromFile() []models.User {
-	users := data.Users
-	for i := range users {
-		users[i].Password,_ = utils.Hash(users[i].Password)
-	}
-	return users
+    // Directly return users from data without re-hashing passwords
+    return data.Users
 }
 
 func GetUserByIdFromFile(id int) models.User {
-	users := GetUsersWithHashedPasswordFromFile()
-	for _, user := range users {
-		if user.Id == id {
-			return user
-		}
-	}
-	return models.User{}
+    users := GetUsersFromFile()
+    for _, user := range users {
+        if user.Id == id {
+            return user
+        }
+    }
+    return models.User{}
 }
 
 func GetUserByEmailFromFile(email string) models.User {
-	users := GetUsersWithHashedPasswordFromFile()
-	for _, user := range users {
-		if user.Email == email {
-			return user
-		}
-	}
-	return models.User{}
+    users := GetUsersFromFile()
+    for _, user := range users {
+        if user.Email == email {
+            return user
+        }
+    }
+    return models.User{}
 }
 
 
 func AddUserToFile(user models.User) error {
-    users := GetUsersWithHashedPasswordFromFile()
+    users := GetUsersFromFile()
 
     // Find the maximum ID in the current user list
     maxID := 0
@@ -57,19 +49,26 @@ func AddUserToFile(user models.User) error {
     // Assign the new user an ID that is one greater than the current maximum
     user.Id = maxID + 1
 
+    // Hash the user's password before saving
+    hashedPassword, err := utils.Hash(user.Password)
+    if err != nil {
+        return err
+    }
+    user.Password = hashedPassword
+
     data.Users = append(data.Users, user)
     return nil
 }
 
 func DeleteUserFromFile(id int) error {
-	users := data.Users
-	for i, user := range users {
-		if user.Id == id {
-			data.Users = append(users[:i], users[i+1:]...)
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
-	return errors.New("user not found")
+    users := GetUsersFromFile()
+    for i, user := range users {
+        if user.Id == id {
+            data.Users = append(users[:i], users[i+1:]...)
+            return nil
+        }
+    }
+    return errors.New("user not found")
 }
 
 
diff --git a/api/routers/http/Server.go b/api/routers/http/Server.go
index fbd9b50..1ad8148 100644
--- a/api/routers/http/Server.go
+++ b/api/routers/http/Server.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	swaggerFiles "github.com/swaggo/files"
 	ginSwagger "github.com/swaggo/gin-swagger"
+	"github.com/uug-ai/facial-access-control/api/data"
 	_ "github.com/uug-ai/facial-access-control/api/docs"
 )
 
@@ -52,6 +53,9 @@ func StartServer(port string) {
 	// Print running port
 	log.Println("Running on port: " + port)
 
+   // Initialize data (hash passwords)
+    data.Initialize()
+
 	// Run the API on the specified port
 	if err := r.Run(":" + port); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/api/routers/http/jwt_middleware.go b/api/routers/http/jwt_middleware.go
index 65ea1b6..a5e08f7 100644
--- a/api/routers/http/jwt_middleware.go
+++ b/api/routers/http/jwt_middleware.go
@@ -44,29 +44,35 @@ func JWTMiddleware() *jwt.GinJWTMiddleware {
 				Role:  user["role"].(string),
 			}
 		},
-		Authenticator: func(c *gin.Context) (interface{}, error) {
-			var user models.User
-			if err := c.ShouldBind(&user); err != nil {
-				return "", jwt.ErrMissingLoginValues
-			}
-			email := user.Email
-			password := user.Password
+	Authenticator: func(c *gin.Context) (interface{}, error) {
+    var user models.User
+    if err := c.ShouldBind(&user); err != nil {
+        log.Println("Binding error:", err)
+        return "", jwt.ErrMissingLoginValues
+    }
+    email := user.Email
+    password := user.Password
 
-			userFound := database.GetUserByEmail(email)
+    log.Println("Attempting to authenticate user:", email)
+    userFound := database.GetUserByEmail(email)
 
-			hashedpw, _ := utils.Hash(userFound.Password)
-			println("Hashed password: ", hashedpw)
+    if userFound.Email != "" {
+        log.Printf("Stored hashed password: %s\n", userFound.Password)
+        if utils.IsSame(password, userFound.Password) {
+            log.Println("Authentication successful for user:", email)
+            return &models.User{
+                Email: userFound.Email,
+            }, nil
+        } else {
+            log.Println("Password mismatch for user:", email)
+        }
+    } else {
+        log.Println("User not found for email:", email)
+    }
 
-			if userFound.Email != "" {
-				if utils.IsSame(userFound.Password, password) {
-					return &models.User{
-						Email: userFound.Email,
-					}, nil
-				}
-			} 
+    return nil, jwt.ErrFailedAuthentication
+},
 
-			return nil, jwt.ErrFailedAuthentication
-		},
 		LoginResponse: func(c *gin.Context, code int, token string, expire time.Time) {
 			// Decrypt the token
 			hmacSecret := []byte(myKey) // Key used for decrypting the token