SSH is one of the most secure communication methods we have. It’s encrypted, and even the passwords can’t be sniffed. But it’s not invincible. Weak passwords can be brute forced and open ports invite automated bots looking for that open port 22. But there’s a number of ways we can harden our ssh server.

SSH (Secure SHell) is well known to Linux administrators as the de facto method for connecting to other systems. SSH long ago supplanted other connection methods because it strongly encrypts the connection between the hosts, ensuring that passwords and any transmitted data are safe from prying eyes.

One of my favourite tools (that I use almost everyday) is PuTTY. I use it both on Windows (very useful because Windows has no SSH client) and on Linux. It is a program that enables SSH connections using a graphical interface. It also allows for the establishment of SSH tunnels as well as omitting some of the restrictions to Internet access.

If you’re an experienced administrator, you’ve probably used SSH to remotely access a troublesome box or your personal computer. For those who don’t know: SSH it’s a great way to fiddle with a computer from miles away as if you were sitting at its keyboard, but it’s also just about the simplest and most secure way to configure your computer to let you access its files from anywhere.

I was discussing VNC this afternoon with some students and the question came up on how to secure VNC. As you may have noticed most network protocols do not have much for built in security. Many rely on other programs for their network security needs, such as ssh. This is also the case with VNC.