diff --git a/data/txt/sha256sums.txt b/data/txt/sha256sums.txt
index f7a810116..d90653b88 100644
--- a/data/txt/sha256sums.txt
+++ b/data/txt/sha256sums.txt
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ c4bfb493a03caf84dd362aec7c248097841de804b7413d0e1ecb8a90c8550bc0  lib/core/readl
 d1bd70c1a55858495c727fbec91e30af267459c8f64d50fabf9e4ee2c007e920  lib/core/replication.py
 1d0f80b0193ac5204527bfab4bde1a7aee0f693fd008e86b4b29f606d1ef94f3  lib/core/revision.py
 d2eb8e4b05ac93551272b3d4abfaf5b9f2d3ac92499a7704c16ed0b4f200db38  lib/core/session.py
-6e3e3fc5ff8f83680dde60dcfd85fe602bda29a2ef7622a2cdfec1b5f7088246  lib/core/settings.py
+9f7e3876dd7a5502ad551e73e8906b6d098d9f393619212717756deeb5324454  lib/core/settings.py
 1c5eab9494eb969bc9ce118a2ea6954690c6851cbe54c18373c723b99734bf09  lib/core/shell.py
 4eea6dcf023e41e3c64b210cb5c2efc7ca893b727f5e49d9c924f076bb224053  lib/core/subprocessng.py
 cdd352e1331c6b535e780f6edea79465cb55af53aa2114dcea0e8bf382e56d1a  lib/core/target.py
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ baaf7a29a1fe07e7cecc7fb1b1f6a6f327b12154b8d5619e9808b2cf43ad2198  README.md
 535ab6ac8b8441a3758cee86df3e68abec8b43eee54e32777967252057915acc  sqlmapapi.py
 168309215af7dd5b0b71070e1770e72f1cbb29a3d8025143fb8aa0b88cd56b62  sqlmapapi.yaml
 c43cc0dd5b4026083ad420c04705a031504aa503cc99ab2236010c4cbd472d39  sqlmap.conf
-515893a1105f06afb6e91d7a32d89ed350828244f2a4c638d36240b284a61363  sqlmap.py
+e29538ddcb7bb80fc3b07b3ccc23e46df1faf9ff4b6d7db0558a9a9587a6b8c6  sqlmap.py
 82caac95182ac5cae02eb7d8a2dc07e71389aeae6b838d3d3f402c9597eb086a  tamper/0eunion.py
 bc8f5e638578919e4e75a5b01a84b47456bac0fd540e600975a52408a3433460  tamper/apostrophemask.py
 c9c3d71f11de0140906d7b4f24fadb9926dc8eaf5adab864f8106275f05526ce  tamper/apostrophenullencode.py
diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index f5eac88d2..c8b9950fe 100644
--- a/lib/core/settings.py
+++ b/lib/core/settings.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from lib.core.enums import OS
 from thirdparty import six
 
 # sqlmap version (<major>.<minor>.<month>.<monthly commit>)
-VERSION = "1.9.6.7"
+VERSION = "1.9.6.8"
 TYPE = "dev" if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] != '0' else "stable"
 TYPE_COLORS = {"dev": 33, "stable": 90, "pip": 34}
 VERSION_STRING = "sqlmap/%s#%s" % ('.'.join(VERSION.split('.')[:-1]) if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] == '0' else VERSION, TYPE)
diff --git a/sqlmap.py b/sqlmap.py
index 24718285a..c5682fbdd 100755
--- a/sqlmap.py
+++ b/sqlmap.py
@@ -513,6 +513,11 @@ def main():
             logger.critical(errMsg)
             raise SystemExit
 
+        elif "'cryptography' package is required":
+            errMsg = "third-party library 'cryptography' is required"
+            logger.critical(errMsg)
+            raise SystemExit
+
         elif "AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'F_GETFD'" in excMsg:
             errMsg = "invalid runtime (\"%s\") " % excMsg.split("Error: ")[-1].strip()
             errMsg += "(Reference: 'https://stackoverflow.com/a/38841364' & 'https://bugs.python.org/issue24944#msg249231')"