how to configure ssh to secure remote access

by Rosalind Sipes Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

To provide another layer of security, you should limit your SSH logins to only certain users who need remote access. This way, you will minimize the impact of having a user with a weak password. Open your /etc/ssh/sshd_config file to add an ‘AllowUsers’ line, followed by the list of usernames, and separate them with a space:

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Full Answer

How to enable SSH access?

You should see an "active" status. If you don't, you may need to restart your system and try again.
To stop SSH, enter systemctl stop sshd and you'll see an "inactive" tag.
If you want SSH to automatically start whenever you reboot the system, enter: sudo systemctl enable sshd. Change "enable" to "disable" if you want to cancel the automatic setting.

How to use SSH to connect to a remote server?

Start the SSH server

Open a browser on your technician PC and navigate to the URL of your Factory OS device.
Once connected to Device Portal, navigate to the SSH tab in the left-hand pane. The SSH tab is at the bottom of the list.
Select Enable SSH.

How do I Secure my SSH access?

Use the built in VPN server on your Windows machine to additionally secure your traffic. ...
Set client connection encryption level. ...
Employ two-factor authentication using a third-party tool, such as Duo Security. ...
Enforce firewall rules to limit exposure of open RDP ports to the Internet, especially if you are using the default RDP TCP port 3389. ...

How do I use SSH to Access MySQL remotely?

Perform the following steps to create an SSH tunnel to the MySQL server with PuTTY:

Launch Putty and enter the IP Address of the server in the Host name (or IP address) field:
Under the Connection menu, expand SSH and select Tunnels. ...
Go back to the Session page to save the settings so that you do not need to enter them again. ...
Select the saved session and log in to the remote server by clicking on the Open button. ...

How do I configure SSH securely?

10 Steps to Secure Open SSHStrong Usernames and Passwords. ... Configure Idle Timeout Interval. ... Disable Empty Passwords. ... Limit Users' SSH Access. ... Only Use SSH Protocol 2. ... Allow Only Specific Clients. ... Enable Two-Factor Authentication. ... Use Public/Private Keys for Authentication.

What can SSH do to keep remote access secure?

Using multiple encryption methods, SSH secures the connection between a client and a server safeguarding the users' commands, authentication, and output against unauthorized access and attacks. The SSH protocol is now widely used in data centers and by almost every major enterprise running on any of the UNIX variants.

Does SSH allow for secure remote console access?

Remote console allows secure ssh shell connections to any device that is enabled for this in settings.

How do I enable SSH remotely?

Enable root login over SSH:As root, edit the sshd_config file in /etc/ssh/sshd_config : nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config.Add a line in the Authentication section of the file that says PermitRootLogin yes . ... Save the updated /etc/ssh/sshd_config file.Restart the SSH server: service sshd restart.

How can I make my port 22 more secure?

How To Secure SSH ServerAvoid Using Port 22. Port 22 is a default port for SSH connections and every hacker trying to access your SSH server will first attack this port. ... Disable the Root Logins. ... Use SSH Keys Instead of Passwords. ... Disable Empty Passwords.

Is SSH secure over the Internet?

SSH provides secure login, file transfer, X11, and TCP/IP connections over an untrusted network. It uses cryptographic authentication, automatic session encryption, and integrity protection for transferred data.

What is SSH remote access?

SSH or Secure Shell is a network protocol that connects users to a remote computer over a secure connection. This allows administrators and other authorized users to connect to secure computers over a network that is not secure, like the Internet. This is accomplished through the use of encryption.

What allows for secure remote console access?

You can enable remote access (dial-up or VPN), Network Address Translation (NAT), both VPN and NAT, a secure connection between two private networks (site-to-site VPN), or you can do a custom configuration to select any combination of these, as shown in Figure 14.25.

What is the difference between https and SSH?

Any time someone uses a website with a URL that starts with HTTPS, he is on a site with SSL/TLS. SSH is for securely executing commands on a server. SSL is used for securely communicating personal information. SSH uses a username/password authentication system to establish a secure connection.

What is required to establish an SSH connection?

To establish an SSH connection, you need a client machine and an agreeing server-side component. SSH enables a secure connection between these two. The application you install on the computer and connect to another computer is called an SSH client. The client uses the remote host information to start the connection.

How do I connect to a SSH server?

How to connect via SSH:Open the list of your servers. Click the one you need and click the button "Instructions". ... Open a terminal (for Linux) or a command line (for Windows) on your computer. Enter the command: ssh [username]@[server IP] ... The connection will ask for a password.

How do I enable remote access in Linux?

Enable or disable remote root loginTo enable remote root login, enter the following command: /etc/ssh/sshd_config: PermitRootLogin yes #enabled.To disable remote root login, enter the following command: /etc/ssh/sshd_config: PermitRootLogin no #disabled.

Is SSH a security risk?

As I discussed before, SSH is a powerful security tool, protecting privileged access to mission critical systems. However, when it is not properly managed, it can become a security liability instead of asset.

What encryption does SSH use?

SSH uses asymmetric encryption in a few different places. During the initial key exchange process used to set up the symmetrical encryption (used to encrypt the session), asymmetrical encryption is used.

Which one is more secure https or SSH?

While SSH is usually considered more secure, for basic usage of Github, HTTPS authentication with a password is acceptable enough. In fact, Github themselves defaults to and recommends most people use HTTPS.

How do you mitigate SSH vulnerability?

Mitigating SSH based attacks – Top 15 Best SSH Security PracticesSet a custom SSH port.Use TCP Wrappers.Filter the SSH port on your firewall.Disable Root Login.SSH Passwordless Login.Strong passwords/passphrase for ssh users and keys.Set Idle Timeout Interval.Disable Empty Passwords.More items...•

What is needed to accept SSH connections?

In order to accept SSH connections, a machine needs to have the server-side part of the SSH software toolkit.

What is SSH client?

An SSH client is an application you install on the computer which you will use to connect to another computer or a server. The client uses the provided remote host information to initiate the connection and if the credentials are verified, establishes the encrypted connection.

What is SSH?

Secure Shell, sometimes referred to as Secure Socket Shell, is a protocol which allows you to connect securely to a remote computer or a server by using a text-based interface.

How to get remote desktop on Windows 7?

You can find it in a couple of different ways: For Windows 7, click on Start -> All Programs, go to the ‘Accessories’ folder and click on Remote Desktop Connection.

What is the component of SSH?

On the server’s side, there is a component called an SSH daemon that is constantly listening to a specific TCP/IP port for possible client connection requests. Once a client initiates a connection, the SSH daemon will respond with the software and the protocol versions it supports and the two will exchange their identification data. If the provided credentials are correct, SSH creates a new session for the appropriate environment.

How to enable remote access in Windows 7?

Enabling Remote Access in Windows 7, 8, 10 and Windows Server Versions. Step 1: Allow Remote Connections. Step 2: Add Users to the List of Remote Users. How to Use the Remove Desktop Connection Client.

What is the protocol used to connect to a remote machine?

There are many ways to establish a connection with a remote machine depending on the operating system you are running, but the two most used protocols are: Secure Shell (SSH) for Linux-based machines. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) for Windows-based machines.

Where do you generate SSH keys?

SSH keys should be generated on the computer you wish to log in from. This is usually your local machine.

How Does SSH Work?

SSH works by connecting a client program to an ssh server, called sshd.

What is SSH in Linux?

SSH, or Secure Shell, is a protocol used to securely log onto remote systems. It is the most common way to access remote Linux servers. In this guide, we will discuss how to use SSH to connect to a remote system.

How to uncomment password authentication?

Locate the line that reads Password Authentication, and uncomment it by removing the leading # . You can then change its value to no:

Why is SSH so popular?

SSH has remained popular because it is secure, light-weight, and useful in diverse situations.

Where is the sshd file located?

In Ubuntu, the main sshd configuration file is located at /etc/ssh/sshd_config.

Is it better to use passwords or key based authentication?

While it is helpful to be able to log in to a remote system using passwords, it’s a much better idea to set up key-based authentication.

What is SSH protocol?

The SSH protocol is an encrypted protocol designed to give a secure connection over an insecure network, such as the internet.

What is SSH in Linux?

The SSH protocol is an encrypted protocol designed to give a secure connection over an insecure network, such as the internet. SSH in Linux is built on a portable version of the OpenSSH project. It is implemented in a classic client-server model, with an SSH server accepting connections from SSH clients. The client is used to connect ...

Why is there a limit on the number of authentication attempts?

Defining a limit on the number of authentication attempts can help thwart password guessing and brute-force attacks. After the designated number of authentication requests, the user will be disconnected from the SSH server. By default, there is no limit. But that is quickly remedied.

What port does SSH listen to?

In its default configuration, an SSH server will listen for incoming connections on Transmission Control Protocol ( TCP) port 22. Because this is a standardized, well-known port, it is a target for threat actors and malicious bots.

How to disable root login?

Disable Root Log Ins 1 If you want to prevent root from logging in at all, replace “prohibit-password” with “no”. 2 If you are going to allow root to log in but force them to use SSH keys, leave “prohibit-password” in place.

When was SSH updated?

In 2006, the SSH protocol was updated from version 1 to version 2. It was a significant upgrade. There were so many changes and improvements, especially around encryption and security, that version 2 is not backward compatible with version 1. To prevent connections from version 1 clients, you can stipulate that your computer will only accept connections from version 2 clients.

How to prevent root from logging in?

If you want to prevent root from logging in at all, replace “prohibit-password” with “no”.

How to secure Firefox?

The configuration process for Firefox translates to practically any application you’ll need to plug in SOCKS information for. Launch Firefox and navigate to Options –> Advanced –> Settings. From within the Connection Settings menu, select Manual proxy configuration and under SOCKS Host plug in 127.0.0.1 —you’re connecting to the PuTTY application running on your local computer so you must put the local host IP, not the IP of your router as you’ve been putting in every slot so far. Set the port to 80, and click OK.

How to access PPK file on remote machine?

Navigate, via the left-hand pane, down to Connection –> Auth. Here you need to click the Browse button and select the .PPK file you saved and brought over to your remote machine.

What is and Why Set Up a Secure Tunnel?

Let’s lay out a couple different scenarios that involve you using the internet to illustrate the benefits of secure tunneling.

How to get a PuTTY key?

Download the full PuTTY pack and extract it to a folder of your choice. Inside the folder you’ll find PUTTYGEN.EXE. Launch the application and click Key –> Generate key pair. You’ll see a screen much like the one pictured above; move your mouse around to generate random data for the key creation process. Once the process has finished your PuTTY Key Generator window should look something like this; go ahead and enter a strong password:

Why is it important to connect to the internet from a hotspot?

Connecting to the internet from Wi-Fi hotspots, at work, or anywhere else away from home, exposes your data to unnecessary risks. You can easily configure your router to support a secure tunnel and shield your remote browser traffic—read on to see how.

Does DD-WRT have SSH?

Both Tomato and DD-WRT have built-in SSH servers. This is awesome for two reasons. First, it used to be a huge pain to telnet into your router to manually install an SSH server and configure it. Second, because you’re running your SSH server on your router (which likely consumes less power than a light bulb), you never have to leave your main computer on just for a lightweight SSH server.

Can you create a keypair without a password?

Note: If you want to simplify the process at the price of slightly decreasing your security you can generate a keypair without a password and set PuTTY to login to the root account automatically (you can toggle this setting under Connect –> Data –> Auto Login). This reduces the PuTTY connection process to simply opening the app, loading the profile, and clicking Open.

Can you share PrivX credentials?

So even when using shared accounts, the user cannot share any credentials to anyone else.

Can you restrict access to specific networks?

You can also restrict access to only to specific networks/target hosts when connecting from the PrivX GUI to websites. Login as self to web target is possible if the user provides own credentials for the web service. Again, optional session recording is possible. If needed, additional PrivX Extender component can be used to access Web targets (as well as SSH and RDP targets) in a private network or virtual private clouds (VPC).

What is SSH authentication?

SSH uses either local security or the security protocol that is configured through AAA on your router for user authentication. When you configure AAA, you must ensure that the console is not running under AAA by applying a keyword in the global configuration mode to disable AAA on the console.

How to prevent non-SSH connections?

If you want to prevent non-SSH connections, add the transport input ssh command under the lines to limit the router to SSH connections only . Straight (non-SSH) Telnets are refused.

How many steps are required to enable SSH on Cisco router?

There are four steps required to enable SSH support on a Cisco IOS router:

What does show ssh mean?

show ssh âDisplays the status of SSH server connections.

What happens if you reject SSH?

If your SSH configuration commands are rejected as illegal commands, you have not successfully generated a RSA key pair for your router. Make sure you have specified a host name and domain. Then use the crypto key generate rsa command to generate an RSA key pair and enable the SSH server.

What is SSH in a network?

Secure Shell (SSH) is a protocol which provides a secure remote access connection to network devices. Communication between the client and server is encrypted in both SSH version 1 and SSH version 2. Implement SSH version 2 when possible because it uses a more enhanced security encryption algorithm. This document discusses how to configure and ...

Why isn't the connect button enabled?

The Connect button is not enabled if you do not enter the host name and username. This screenshot shows that the login banner is displayed when Secure Shell connects to the router. Then, the login banner password prompt displays. The PuTTY client does not require the username to initiate the SSH connection to the router.

What is SSH on Cisco router?

The Secure Shell (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network. The best-known example application is for remote login to computer systems by users.

What is SSH in network?

SSH provides a secure channel over an unsecured network in a client-server architecture, connecting an SSH client application with an SSH server. Common applications include remote command-line login and remote command execution, but any network service can be secured with SSH.

What is SSH protocol?

SSH has two protocols that it can use. Protocol 1 is older and is less secure. Protocol 2 is what you should be using to harden your security. If you are looking for your server to become PCI compliant, then you must disable protocol 1.

Should you limit SSH logins to remote users?

To provide another layer of security, you should limit your SSH logins to only certain users who need remote access. This way, you will minimize the impact of having a user with a weak password.

Can you root through SSH?

One of the most dangerous security holes you can have in your system is to allow direct logging in to root through SSH. By doing so, any hackers attempting brute force on your root password could hypothetically access your system; and if you think about it, root can do a lot more damage on a machine than a standard user can do.

What is SSH authentication?

SSH supports Authentication to reliably determine the identity of the connecting computer, encryption to scramble data so that only the intended recipient only can read it and Integrity to guarantees the data sent over the network is not changed by a third party. SSH has two main versions, SSH1 and SSH2.

What is SSH in network?

Network administrators must disable telnet and use only SSH wherever possible. SSH (Secure Shell) is a protocol which define how to connect securely over a network. SSH (Secure Shell) protocol provides the three main ideas of security authentication, confidentiality (via encryption) and integrity of data transfer over a network.

What port number does SSH use?

SSH uses TCP as its transport layer protocol and uses well-kown port number 22.

What is the default device name for RSA encryption?

Before generating RSA encryption keys, you must change the default hostname of a Cisco Router or Switch. The default device name of a Cisco Router is "Router" and default device name of a Cisco Switch is "Switch". You must configure a domain name also before generating RSA keys. Follow these Cisco IOS CLI commands to configure a hostname, ...

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