While the private and public keys within a key pair are related, a private key cannot be derived by someone who only possesses the corresponding public key. The public and private keys are generated with a key generation utility. Public-key authentication employs a linked pair of computer-generated keys - one public and one private - and a procedure that proves the user's identity without exposing the secret key to theft or hijacking.īefore using public-key authentication, the public/private key pair files must be created, with a copy of the public-key file being uploaded to a specific location on the server. Public-key authentication is a proven, well-established method for authenticating computing devices which is more secure than password authentication. Overview of public-key authentication for Secure Shell
The tip below provides a basic overview of public-key authentication, explains how to generate and upload keys to the Secure Shell server, and shows how to configure SecureCRT and SecureFX clients. Index Using Public-Key Authentication in Secure Shell Applications
