OpenSSH: Disable password based login, force public/private key based auth

Be sure to already have a working public/private key ssh login setup. Otherwise you’ll be locked out after activating this changes!

Change the following config parameters in /etc/ssh/sshd_config to read as:

ChallengeResponseAuthentication no
PasswordAuthentication no
UsePAM no

Restart sshd. Have fun. Stay more secure.

Is your SSHd listening on the default port (22/TCP)? Ever thought about changing ssh to listen to some random port? It’s easy!

Benjamin Wiedmann is an IT Professional, Software Developer, Photograph and Musician. Read more...

Benjamin Wiedmann is an IT Professional, Software Developer, Photograph and Musician. Read more...

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