A RetroSearch Logo

Home - News ( United States | United Kingdom | Italy | Germany ) - Football scores

Search Query:

Showing content from https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/security/using-ssh-keys-for-your-network-connection/ below:

How to use SSH keys

By enlisting the help of the network protocol SSH, secure and encrypted network connections can be created on remote devices, such as a server. This SSH connection allows users to carry out maintenance procedures via command or directly from local computers. And depending on the protocol version being used, different encryption algorithms may be employed – SSH-2, for example, uses per default AES. Before the connection can be encrypted, a successful authentication needs to be carried out. While the server issues a security certificate for the client, there are actually many ways to register the client onto the server. In addition to popular options of user names and passwords, opting for a key pair also proves popular, due to the fact that its composition incorporates both private and public SSH keys.

Public key authentication

Authentication methods with SSH keys, also referred to as public key authentications, are advantageous compared to standard password login. This method does not save used passwords on the server; instead they are only stored on public keys. This allows the private SSH key to remain safely and securely stored on one’s own computer. Such keys can be encrypted with an ID. The public key is able to verify signatures that have been generated with SSH keys, thus allowing automatic registration onto the server. Should unauthorized users gain access to the public key, deciphering the private variant based on this information is virtually impossible. As a result, relying on a key pair for SSH connection frees users from having to go through a registration dialog and also provides more robust security.

Switch to SSH keys–here’s how to do it

Taking full advantage of SSH connections requires an SSH package, such as OpenSSH for Unix, WinSCP for Windows, or PuTTY for both Unix and Windows operating systems. In addition to SSH protocol, these packages use applications that can generate SSH keys. The following step-by-step guide lays out how to set up keys pairs with OpenSSH and PuTTY.

SSH keys with OpenSSH configuration
  1. For starters, the SSH key needs to be generated by entering the following command:

    ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

    These parameters determine the kind of encryption to be used, which in this particular case is RSA, and the key length (-b), although the maximum value may not exceed 4096. If no specifications are given, then standard settings will be used for generating the key.

  2. The following dialog allows users to see and change the directory in which the SSH key is to be stored (“Enter file in which to save the key”). A passphrase for a private key can also be defined at this point (“Enter passphrase”). If you opt for using the standard directory and do not wish to create a label for your key, then leave these boxes empty and skip by pressing enter.
  3. Both SSH keys are now stored in different files in the abovementioned directory. The file id_rsa.pub contains the public key that now needs to be recorded onto the server in the subfolder .ssh’s file, authorized_keys. On the server, move the key into the home directory of the respective user:

    scp ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub USER@HOST.com

  4. Log onto the server and copy the public SSH key into the right folder:

    ssh USER@HOST.com


    cat ~/id_rsa.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
  5. Now the key pair as well as the passphrase (should it be defined) should both be automatically used during the construction of the SSH connection. If this is not the case, then check to see if the rights for the folder .ssh and the file authorized_keys have been properly affixed.
  6. Given that public key authentication replaces normal password authentication, users are able to turn off the standard procedure in the SSH configuration file /etc/ssh/sshd_config (or also directly under /etc/, z. B. in Cygwin). Change the line “PasswordAuthentication yes” to, you guessed it, “PasswordAuthentication no” and then restart the server.
Generate SSH key with the PuTTY Key Generator
  1. Those using a PuTTY to establish an SSH connection have the option of employing the default tool PuTTYgen for generating key pairs. The Putty Key Generator can be found in the same directory where you installed PuTTY. Should the tool be missing, then simply download it from the PuTTY download page: PuTTY Download Page
  2. After getting started, select under “Parameters” the type of encryption you wish to use. For SSH-2, users are able to choose between RSA and DAS. Define the length of your desired key under “Number of bits in a generated key”.
  3. Next, click on “Generate” and move the cursor into the empty space of the dialog box back and forth to guarantee the individuality of the code.
  4. Once you’ve finished generating the key, you now have the possibility of equipping the key pair with a comment and a passphrase.
  5. Save both SSH keys by clicking “Save private key” and “Save public key”.
  6. In order to transfer the public key onto the server, connect to PuTTY with it and then copy the code from the clipboard. ("Public key for pasting into OpenSSH authorized_keys file") and paste it into the authorized_keys file.
  7. For the last step, enter the private SSH key into the PuTTY client. Open the configuration menu and select under "Category" > "Connection" > "SSH" > "Auth" > "Private key file authentification" the file of the private key.
Was this article helpful? Related tags Go to Main Menu Related articles wk1003mikeShutterstock What is the best password manager?

Would you give your bank account pin number to a stranger? Certainly not. However, this is essentially just what you are doing if you don’t secure your online banking log-in with a password that can’t be figured out by hackers in a matter of seconds. In order to be able to create…

Read more

How to backup databases

Backing up your data is a popular option for securing your database. In order to create backup copies, you need additional hardware and to install a suitable backup structure. How do you secure your own network and web server against attacks and proceed to protect your databases?

Read more

evvShutterstock Raspberry Pi: activating and using SSH access

Raspberry Pi has established itself as a reliable basis for servers of various types. Access – for configuration and maintenance purposes – rarely takes place on the mini computer itself, but mostly on a desktop computer in the same network. The communication protocol is the…

Read more

pixelparticleshutterstock SSH - Secure Shell simply explained

If you want to establish a secure connection to your server via the internet, you will need SSH. Whether sending commands, uploading files, or during remote maintenance, secure shell ensures that criminals cannot gain access to your sensitive data. Effective encryption and…

Read more

OAuth (Open Authorization)

The “pathway to hell” – this is how Eran Hammer-Lahav once called the security protocol OAuth 2.0, on which he himself had worked for years. Others, however, use the service without issue. It enables users to use data and functions across multiple platforms in multiple services –…

Read more

wk1003mikeShutterstock How to use an SSH key with GitHub

Since 2021, passwordless access via SSH key has been mandatory to edit GitHub repositories. Conveniently, you only need to set up access once. We’ll clearly demonstrate how to create a private/public key pair on your local system and how to deposit the public key on GitHub. In…

Read more


RetroSearch is an open source project built by @garambo | Open a GitHub Issue

Search and Browse the WWW like it's 1997 | Search results from DuckDuckGo

HTML: 3.2 | Encoding: UTF-8 | Version: 0.7.4