The SSH protocol (Secure Shell) is a cryptographic network protocol that allows secure communication between two systems, typically for remote administration. It’s most commonly used to log into remote servers and execute commands, but it also facilitates secure file transfers and other operations.
Key Features of SSH:
- Encryption: SSH encrypts the data that’s sent between the client and the server, so even if someone intercepts the connection, they can’t read the data. This makes it much more secure than older protocols like Telnet or FTP, which transmit data in plaintext.
- Authentication: SSH can use two methods of authentication:
- Password-based: You enter a password to authenticate yourself to the remote system.
- Public Key-based: A more secure method, where the client uses a private key to authenticate, and the server checks it against the corresponding public key. This eliminates the need for passwords and provides an extra layer of security.
- Integrity: SSH ensures the integrity of data, meaning that data cannot be tampered with while it’s in transit. If someone tries to alter the data being sent, the connection will be immediately disrupted.
Password based
While setting up a server, select password based authentication
Example from digitalocean
ssh ubuntu@SERVER_IP
or
ssh root@SERVER_IP