The suite of utility applications that Unix users and administrators find indispensable--Telnet, rlogin, FTP, and the rest--can in fact prove to be the undoing of interconnected systems. The Secure Shell, a.k.a. SSH (which isn't a true shell at all) provides your otherwise attack-prone utilities with the protection they need. SSH: The Secure Shell: The Definitive Guide explains how to use SSH at all levels. In a blended sequence, the book explains what SSH is all about, how it fits into a larger security scheme, and how to employ it as an everyday user with an SSH client. More technically detailed chapters show how to configure a SSH server--several variants are covered--and how to integrate SSH with non-Unix client platforms.

As befits its detail- and variation-rich subject, this book comprises many specialized sections, each dealing with some specific aspect of use or configuration (setting up access control at the account level, for example, or generating keys for a particular SSH server). The writing is both informative and fun to read; the authors switch back and forth between text and entry-and-response listings from SSH machines. They often run through a half-dozen or more variants on the same command in a few pages, providing the reader with lots of practical information. The discussion of how SSH fits into a Kerberos Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is great, as is the advice on defeating particular kinds of attacks. --David Wall

Topics covered: The Secure Shell (SSH) for installers, administrators, and everyday users SSH design and operation Server setup SSH agents Client configuration Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) integration SSH1 SSH2 F-Secure OpenSSH for Unix SSH1 and SecureCRT for Microsoft Windows NiftyTelnet SSH for Mac OS


Book Description
Are you serious about network security? Then check out SSH, the Secure Shell, which provides key-based authentication and transparent encryption for your network connections. It's reliable, robust, and reasonably easy to use, and both free and commercial implementations are widely available for most operating systems. While it doesn't solve every privacy and security problem, SSH eliminates several of them very effectively. Everything you want to know about SSH is in our second edition of SSH, The Secure Shell: The Definitive Guide. This updated book thoroughly covers the latest SSH-2 protocol for system administrators and end users interested in using this increasingly popular TCP/IP-based solution. How does it work? Whenever data is sent to the network, SSH automatically encrypts it. When data reaches its intended recipient, SSH decrypts it. The result is "transparent" encryption-users can work normally, unaware that their communications are already encrypted. SSH supports secure file transfer between computers, secure remote logins, and a unique "tunneling" capability that adds encryption to otherwise insecure network applications. With SSH, users can freely navigate the Internet, and system administrators can secure their networks or perform remote administration. Written for a wide, technical audience, SSH, The Secure Shell: The Definitive Guide covers several implementations of SSH for different operating systems and computing environments. Whether you're an individual running Linux machines at home, a corporate network administrator with thousands of users, or a PC/Mac owner who just wants a secure way to telnet or transfer files between machines, our indispensable guide has you covered. It starts with simple installation and use of SSH, and works its way to in-depth case studies on large, sensitive computer networks. No matter where or how you're shipping information, SSH, The Secure Shell: The Definitive Guide will show you how to do it securely.


Book Info
A text covering the Secure Shell in detail, for system administrators and end users communicating on a small local area network or on the Internet. Includes coverage of installing and maintaining SSH systems, advanced key management using agents, agent forwarding, and forced commands, integrating SSH with Kerberos, PGP, PAM, and other software, and more. Softcover.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Secure your computer network with SSH! With end-to-end strong encryption, reliable public-key authentication, and a highly configurable client/server architecture, SSH (Secure Shell) is a popular, robust, TCP/IP-based solution to many network security and privacy concerns. It supports secure remote logins, secure file transfer between computers, and a unique "tunneling" capability that adds encryption to otherwise insecure network applications. Best of all, SSH is free, with feature-filled commercial versions available as well.

SSH, The Secure Shell: The Definitive Guide covers the Secure Shell in detail for both system administrators and end users. It demystifies the SSH man pages and includes thorough coverage of: Basic to advanced use of SSH client tools for Unix, Windows, and Macintosh. Installing, configuring, and maintaining SSH (with special tips for large data centers). The three levels of SSH server control: compile-time and server-wide configuration for administators, and per-account configuration for end users. Application tunneling, port and agent forwarding, and forced commands. Undocumented features of popular SSH implementations. Detailed case studies of creating complex applications with SSH. Troubleshooting a wide variety of common and not-so-common problems. Whether you're communicating on a small LAN or across the Internet, SSH can ship your data from "here" to "there" efficiently and securely. So throw away those insecure .rhosts and hosts.equiv files, move up to SSH, and make your network a safe place to live and work.

About the Author:
Daniel J. Barrett, Ph.D., has been immersed in Internet technology since 1985. Currently a software engineer and vice president at a well-known financial services company, Dan has also been a heavy metal singer, Unix system administrator, university lecturer, web designer, and humorist.

Dan has written several other O'Reilly books, including NetResearch: Finding Information Online and Bandits on the Information Superhighway, as well as monthly columns for Compute! and Keyboard Magazine. He and his family reside in Boston.

SYNOPSIS