SSH Keys are pairs of sequences of randomly generated bytes that provide the basis of SSH public key cryptography and challenge-response authentication. The sequences are typically stored in files and one of them is referred to as the Public key while the other is the Private key.
SSH Keys are pairs of sequences of randomly generated bytes that provide the basis of SSH public key cryptography and challenge-response authentication. The sequences are typically stored in files and one of them is referred to as the public key while the other is the private key.
SSH Keys can be generated using a number of supported algorithms:
- Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA): 256, 384 or 521 bit public key
- RSA: 2048-4096 bit public key
- DSA: (Digital Signature Algorithm) 1024 bit public key
Keys are commonly generated using the widely available ssh-keygen tool, although other forms of key generators exist.
An SSH Key can be visualized by formatting the byte sequence into ASCII art. The following is a rendering of a 521 bit ECDSA key:
+--[ECDSA 521]---+
| ..oB=. . |
| . . . . . |
| . . . + |
| oo.o . . = |
|o+.+. S . . . |
|=. . E |
| o . |
| . |
| |
+-----------------+
