Its main purpose is to encrypt data, converting the message into secret code or ciphertext. This term may sound complicated and weird, but nothing could be further from the truth.īasically, asymmetric encryption is a system that uses a pair of keys, namely public and private keys.Īs you may guess, the public key can be shared with anyone. The SSH protocol uses a technique of cryptography called asymmetric encryption. Now, heading into how SSH keys really work, you need to understand the differences between public and private keys. It’s broadly used by other platforms like Kinsta, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web services to create a secure channel to access their services. Git push.īut SSH is not only used for GitHub. This is basically what you’re doing when authenticating via a terminal to GitHub. This protocol is based on client-server architecture, which means you as the user (or “client”) need to use special software, called an SSH client, to log into a remote server and execute commands. Usually, that authentication occurs in a command-line environment. Simply put, SSH keys are credentials used for the SSH (Secure Shell) protocol to enable secure access to remote computers over the internet.
