What is SSH and How to Connect to your Server via SSH? How to Generate and Import New Keys?
Posted by Allura on 05 03 2018.
A Brief Overview:
Secure Socket Shell is also known as SSH is a network protocol. SSH is a cryptographic protocol. It enables the administrators to access a device in a secured manner. SSH network protocol helps to connect your device to another web server via Command Line Interface or CLI. Also, this protocol can be used for managing server, configuring CGI scripts and performing some other tasks. SSH is already configured in modern operating systems like MacOS and Linux.
Connecting Your Server via SSH:
In order to log in to your server by using Microsoft Windows, SSH client like PuTTY must be used. Steps to connect to server through SSH:-
- First, the PuTTY client has to be downloaded and installed.
- Then, the client has to be opened from the Windows Start menu.
- In the Host Name or IP address text box under the Session interface, the server’s hostname or the IP address has to be entered.
- Now in the Port text box, enter the Port number.
Using PuTTY and Keyword:
- First, the client has to be opened from the Windows Start menu.
- Go to the PuTTY Key Generator interface.
- Then select the Generate option beneath the Actions heading. The key is generated by PuTTY and under Key menu, the result is displayed.
- The public key has to be copied and pasted into the .ssh/authorized_keys
- In the two text boxes- Key Passphrase and Confirm Passphrase, a passphrase has to be entered.
- To save the key as a .ppk file, click on Save Private Key.
To Log into MacOS and Linux:
- A terminal session has to be opened first.
- Then the command ssh -p port user@IP has to be run.
Generating a New Key:
Under the manage keys interface, this section allows a new pair of SSH keys. It includes both public and private key. Steps written below are to be followed to create a new pair of SSH key.
- First, Generate a New Key option has to be selected.
- Now, in the Key Name, enter the key name.
- In the applicable text box, first enter the new password and then it has to be confirmed.
The type of the key has to be selected- Quicker generation of key and signing time is provided by DSA keys and quicker verification time is provided by RSA keys.
- The size of the key has to be selected.
- Select the option Generate Key.
Importing a New Key:
- First, click on Import key.
- For using a custom key name, in the Choose a name for this key, a key name has to be entered.
- In the appropriate text boxes, the public and private keys have to be pasted.
- Last, click on
When two computers get connected over some insecure network like the internet, SSH helps to establish the connection with strong authentication and secure encrypted data. Also, network administrators rely on SSH security features, to manage systems and applications.