[Novalug] POSSIBLE BREAK-IN in auth.log via ssh

Beartooth beartooth@Beartooth.Info
Fri Feb 13 10:57:41 EST 2009


On Thu, 12 Feb 2009, Jon Taimanglo wrote:

> Norman, I still think ditching the password all together would provide
> additional security.
>
> Tons of stuff on the net, but one quick how-to:
>
> http://sial.org/howto/openssh/publickey-auth/
>
> Once you have key authentication set up, turn off password
> authentication.  Those attempting a dictionary style attack will be
> turned away immediately.

 	One of my gurux has been urging me to that, and I haven't 
gotten around to it, largely because I don't understand it, at 
all, at all.

 	Two Very Dumb Questions, please.

 	1) It talks of a public key; does that mean I have to get 
into PGP. GPG, or whatever -- first??

 	2) One of the great advantages of a remote host is that I 
can get into it from anywhere -- even from a MegaSleazo machine 
in a public library in Podunk Squared, if need be. Won't the 
passwordless approach kill that??

-- 
Beartooth Bookworm, Cantankerous Curmudgeon
I have never owned a television. Nor wanted to.



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