What are the benefits and drawbacks of using SSH keys over passwords? (2024)

FAQs

What are the benefits and drawbacks of using SSH keys over passwords? ›

Additionally, SSH keys aren't human generated, so you'll avoid having easy-to-guess keys like “123456” or “password”. And unlike passwords, your private SSH key isn't sent to the server. So even if malicious actors hack into the server, they still can't access your account.

In terms of convenience, SSH-keys, when used with a program known as an SSH agent, allow users to connect to a server or multiple servers, without requiring the user to remember and re-enter their password when logging into multiple solutions, making for faster, easier log-ins.

Key Theft: One of the primary risks associated with SSH keys is key theft. If an attacker gains access to an SSH key, they can use it to authenticate themselves and gain access to the systems and data that the key is authorized to access.

SSH Passwordless Login FAQ

If you simply press Enter without typing a passphrase, the key will be created without one. While this allows for passwordless authentication, it is important to note that such a key is less secure because it can be used by anyone who obtains the private key.

Benefits of SSH Key Authentication

SSH is also resistant to brute force attacks and protects against certain attack vectors used to gain access to remote machines. Public key encryption ensures passwords need not be sent over the network, providing an additional layer of security.

Key vs password

Passwords are often created to be memorized by users and may contain non-random information such as dictionary words. On the other hand, a key can help strengthen password protection by implementing a cryptographic algorithm which is difficult to guess or replace the password altogether.

Benefits of SSH:

Security: SSH encrypts data transmitted over the network, protecting it from eavesdropping and tampering. Authentication: SSH provides robust authentication mechanisms, including public key authentication, which offers stronger security than traditional password-based authentication.

Alternatively, you can also connect to your application using the SSH keys, also known as Password-less SSH. SSH key pairs offer a more secure way of logging into your server than a password that can easily be cracked with a dictionary and brute force attacks. SSH keys are very hard to decipher with these attacks.

Improperly configured SSH servers can introduce security vulnerabilities. Some common configuration issues include enabling weak encryption algorithms, allowing root login without proper restrictions, or permitting password-based authentication without additional protection mechanisms like two-factor authentication.

What are the security issues with SSH keys? ›

SSH is "secure" because it incorporates encryption and authentication via a process called public key cryptography. Public key cryptography is a way to encrypt data, or sign data, with two different keys. One of the keys, the public key, is available for anyone to use.

An SSH key is an access credential for the SSH (secure shell) network protocol. This authenticated and encrypted secure network protocol is used for remote communication between machines on an unsecured open network. SSH is used for remote file transfer, network management, and remote operating system access.

Public key authentication provides cryptographic strength that even extremely long passwords can not offer. With SSH, public key authentication improves security considerably as it frees the users from remembering complicated passwords (or worse yet, writing them down).

SSH does not protect against:

A malicious user gaining root access to host (remote) machine. A malicious user gaining root access to the recipient machine.

The SSH key acts as a more secure and efficient alternative to traditional password-based authentication. This is because keys are less likely to be guessed or brute-forced compared to passwords. However, it is highly recommended to protect your private key with a passphrase.

Passwords are stored on servers or databases, while passkeys consist of a public key stored on servers and a private key stored on a device. Passkeys enhance cybersecurity through their dual-key authentication system, unlike passwords, which depend on their complexity.

SSH is important for maintaining the security of systems, as the protocol acts as a secure way to provide access and management of networked systems.