puttygen

How to use PuTTY SSH key Authentication?

Secure Shell (SSH) key authentication provides a more secure and convenient method of accessing remote server compared to password-based login. PuTTY, a popular Windows SSH client, provides SSH key authentication. This method involves generating cryptographic keys: a private key that is stored on your local system and a public key that is shared with the server.Using PuTTY for SSH key authentication increases the security of your remote connections and removes the need to enter passwords on a regular basis.In PuTTY establish secure connection by linking SSH key with Pageant on Windows.Using PuTTY SSH key Authentication:Download PuTTY:Download and install PuTTY, PuTTYgen on your Windows.Generating SSH Key with PuTTYgen:Open PuTTYgen, to generate key pair click the Generate.
Select the key size e.g. 4096 bits and key type.
Move your mouse over the blank area to generate randomness in Keys.Save the Keys:Click on Save private key to save the private key. This file generally has a .ppk extension.Click on Save public key to save the public key.Copy the Public Key to the Server:Copy the public key content from PuTTYgen.Connect to your SSH server.
Add the public key to the server /.ssh/authorized_keys file.Configure the connection:Open PuTTY on your Windows, enter your remote server public IP address or username in the Hostname section.Set the connection to SSH and port to 22.On the left panel, navigate the Connection>SSH>Auth category.
Click on Browse and select the PuTTYgen-generated private key.Saving the connection:Enter a name in the Saved Session section and click on save to save the connection for later use.Establish the connection:Click on Open to make the connection.Enter the username and password when prompted.In conclusion, using PuTTY for SSH key authentication is an effective and secure method of connecting to remote server. By using this method user benefit from increased security and convenience, as it removes the need for regular password input during logins.
The usage of cryptographic key pair offers an extra layer of security, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.