How to Secure OpenSSH Server with 5 Useful Tips

1. How do I make OpenSSH more secure?
2. How do I secure and harden my OpenSSH server?
3. How secure is open ssh?
4. What are the common best practices around using SSH?
5. What port should I use for SSH?
6. How do I protect my SSH private key?
7. What security functions are enforced SSH?
8. How do I harden SSH in Ubuntu?
9. How do I harden Ubuntu?
10. Is SSH hack possible?
11. Is it safe to forward ssh port?
12. What is the most secure SSH key type?
13. How do you SSH properly?
14. Should I disable SSH?

How do I make OpenSSH more secure?

10 Steps to Secure Open SSH

1. Strong Usernames and Passwords. ...
2. Configure Idle Timeout Interval. ...
3. Disable Empty Passwords. ...
4. Limit Users' SSH Access. ...
5. Only Use SSH Protocol 2. ...
6. Allow Only Specific Clients. ...
7. Enable Two-Factor Authentication. ...
8. Use Public/Private Keys for Authentication.

How do I secure and harden my OpenSSH server?

How to Secure and Harden OpenSSH Server

1. Setup SSH Passwordless Authentication. By default, SSH requires users to provide their passwords when logging in. ...
2. Disable User SSH Passwordless Connection Requests. ...
3. Disable SSH Root Logins. ...
4. Use SSH Protocol 2. ...
5. Set SSH Connection Timeout Idle Value. ...
6. Limit SSH Access to Certain Users. ...
7. Configure a Limit for Password Attempts.

How secure is open ssh?

SSH keys allow you to make connections without a password that are—counterintuitively—more secure than connections that use password authentication. When you make a connection request, the remote computer uses its copy of your public key to create an encrypted message that is sent back to your computer.

What are the common best practices around using SSH?

15 Best SSH Hardening Tips

• Set 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.

What port should I use for SSH?

The default port for SSH client connections is 22; to change this default, enter a port number between 1024 and 32,767. The default port for Telnet client connections is 23; to change this default, enter a port number between 1024 and 32,767.

How do I protect my SSH private key?

The unencrypted private key format. Everyone recommends that you protect your private key with a passphrase (otherwise anybody who steals the file from you can log into everything you have access to). If you leave the passphrase blank, the key is not encrypted.

What security functions are enforced SSH?

Overview of SSH Key Security Authentication

• Logging into remote computers/servers for support and maintenance.
• Transferring of files from computer to computer.
• Remote execution of commands.
• Offering support and updates.

How do I harden SSH in Ubuntu?

Secure the SSH server on Ubuntu

1. Change the default SSH port.
2. Use SSH2.
3. Use a whitelist and a blacklist to limit user access.
4. Disable root login.
5. Hide last login.
6. Restrict SSH logins to specific IP addresses.
7. Disable password authentication.
8. Disable .rhosts.

How do I harden Ubuntu?

The following tips and tricks are some easy ways to quickly harden an Ubuntu server.

1. Keep System Up-To-Date. ...
2. Accounts. ...
3. Ensure Only root Has UID of 0. ...
4. Check for Accounts with Empty Passwords. ...
5. Lock Accounts. ...
6. Adding New User Accounts. ...
7. Sudo Configuration. ...
8. IpTables.

Is SSH hack possible?

SSH is one of the most common protocols in use in modern IT infrastructures, and because of this, it can be a valuable attack vector for hackers. One of the most reliable ways to gain SSH access to servers is by brute-forcing credentials.

Is it safe to forward ssh port?

SSH port forwarding is not dangerous by itself, however, its safety depends on the service at the target port. Some have suggested that the safety of port forwarding is dependent on how strong your firewall is and its level of internal and external protection.

What is the most secure SSH key type?

This article will focus on asymmetric keygen algorithms. As of 2020, the most widely adopted algorithms are RSA, DSA, ECDSA, and EdDSA, but it is RSA and EdDSA that provide the best security and performance.

How do you SSH properly?

How to Connect via SSH

1. Open the SSH terminal on your machine and run the following command: ssh your_username@host_ip_address If the username on your local machine matches the one on the server you are trying to connect to, you can just type: ssh host_ip_address. ...
2. Type in your password and hit Enter.

Should I disable SSH?

One of the biggest security holes you could open on your server is to allow directly logging in as root through ssh, because any cracker can attempt to brute force your root password and potentially get access to your system if they can figure out your password. ...