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What is Secure Shell (SSH)?

By Lukman 23 December, 2022

Every website that uses Secure Shell (SSH) has a certified security guarantee, making users feel safe when browsing websites with SSH. The function of SSh is crucial for the user or the website itself, making this feature mandatory on every website.

Every website that uses Secure Shell (SSH) has a certified security guarantee, making users feel safe when browsing websites with SSH. The function of SSh is crucial for the user or the website itself, making this feature mandatory on every website. But what is SSH?

Here is a guide on what SSH is to help you understand it.
 

What is Secure Shell (SSH)?

The Secure Shell (SSH) protocol enables communication between two machines over a secure network. It provides a secure, encrypted path for remote connections.

Secure Shell (SSH) was designed to replace Telnet and other insecure Remote Shell Protocols, such as Berkeley's RSH and REXEC Protocols, which send information, mainly passwords, in text form, making them vulnerable to interception and using packet analyzers.

Secure Shell is commonly used by system admins to remotely manage servers and network devices to provide strong authentication, encryption, and data integrity. It works simply because an SSH client is installed on a local machine while an SSH server is installed on a remote machine.

Then, when someone establishes a connection from the SSH client to the SSH server, a public/private key is created, a combination of username and password. The system then authenticates all the keys, and if they prove to be secure, the communication will continue and be encrypted to avoid eavesdropping.

With SSH, users can securely transfer files between computers, execute commands remotely, and create secure tunnels for other applications such as email or web browsing.

Every server created on a Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) that uses the Linux Operating System and has a Public IP already has an SSH feature automatically. This SSH functions to access the server from any device that supports the use of SSH.

The encryption used by SSH aims to provide confidentiality and data integrity over insecure networks, such as the Internet.


SSH Functions

The many vital functions of SSH are as follows:

  • As a combination of SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol), which is a secure alternative to FTP file transfer
  • RSYNC for efficient and secure file copying and transfer (similar to FTP)
  • Web browsing through encrypted proxy connections with SSH clients that support the SOCKS protocol
  • Remote monitoring and management of servers through one or more of the following mechanisms

 

What are the encryption techniques that Secure Shell uses?

 

1. Symmetric Encryption

The first encryption technology is symmetric encryption. As the name implies, this encryption looks for similarities between the received and existing keys. So, when a client sends a connection, it will receive the public key. The server will then respond with a copy of its key.

The two keys will then be compared, and if they are symmetric or the same, then communication will continue to exchange data securely.
 

2. Asymmetric Encryption

Unlike symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption decrypts the message instead of looking for a match. When a client establishes a connection, two different keys are created, and only the client's key can encrypt the message from the server's key.

Asymmetric works like a jigsaw piece; the critical piece that the client receives can only unlock the key piece that resides on the server. So, when the client's key, say, has a data change, this will make it impossible for the client's key to unlock the server's messages anymore.
 

3. Hashing

The last technology used to explain how SSH works is hashing. Put, hashing transforms data into a long, unique string of numbers and letters. The algorithm can later convert this string back into the original data.

That way, even if your message or transmission is stolen during communication, the thief will most likely not be able to convert the string of numbers and letters back into your data because the thief does not know the algorithm to encrypt the message.

That explains a secure shell (SSH) and its functions and encryption technology that can secure communication and data transfer within your company. SSH generally uses port 22 to access it. On the Linux Operating System, we can access SSH by utilizing the terminal and supporting applications such as OpenSSH. For those who don't know how to access SSH on Linux and Mac OS operating systems, please read the article at the following link: https://support.cloudmatika.co.id/support/home
 

Compatible with Windows, Linux & Mac

Unlike Linux & Mac, which rely on terminals to access SSH, Windows uses third-party software to use SSH's features. For example, third-party applications that are usually used to access servers on SSH are Putty.

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