SSH (Secure Shell)

SSH is the cryptographic protocol used to securely log into remote Linux / Unix servers. It provides authenticated and encrypted shell access, file transfer (sftp / scp), and tunneling. Modern SSH uses public-key authentication: the customer generates a keypair locally, uploads the public key to the server, and authenticates by proving possession of the private key. Password authentication should be disabled in production.

For offshore hosting customers, SSH is the primary access method to VPS / dedicated servers. Hardening basics: disable root password login, enforce key-only auth, change the default port (22) to reduce log noise, use fail2ban or CrowdSec to rate-limit brute-force attempts. SilentHosts includes a hardening service add-on that applies these defaults plus CIS-benchmark-aligned configuration.