Secure Shell (SSH)

Secure Shell, or SSH, is a Unix application and a security protocol used for gaining secure access to a remote computer from your computer by establishing an encrypted connection.

SSH uses a long sequence of characters to encrypt the data before transmitting it over the connection. Only the chosen receiver can then decrypt the transmitted data. Also, SSH uses public key cryptography to authenticate parties involved in the conversation, to assure that they are who they say they are. Sensitive data such as passwords and personal data should not be transmitted openly over a network. Using SSH thus provides the needed confidentiality to the users.

By using SSH for establishing remote connections, users get "shell access," or in other words, access to a command prompt, to a remote computer safely and securely. SSH provides better security than earlier applications like Telnet  and Remote Shell  (RSH).

SSH has been implemented in several easy-to-use, free application programs like PuTTY , which is a free SSH client.

SSH protects users from malicious hacking attacks such as IP spoofing, IP source routing and DNS spoofing. Such attacks make the user believe that he is communicating with a trusted party, but actually the user is communicating with the malicious attacker.