# What Is An SSH Key?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ssh-key/238941>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ssh-key/238941 "2004-04-08T13:10:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ssh-key/238941/1 "2004-04-08T13:10:07Z")

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I’m in the process of applying for a technical job, and the prospective employer is not asking for a resume. They are asking for my SSH Key. Matter of fact, if I send my resume, it will automatically disqualify me from applying for the position.

I assumed at first that an SSH Key was something I could attain from Verisign or Microsoft. That it was some sort of encryption technology that would verify my identity, much like a Notary. But a quick search did not bring anything up.

Of course, the whole thing might be a ruse. As if to say, “If you don’t know what an SSH Key is, then you obviously don’t have one, and you don’t deserve this job.”

Who here knows what an SSH Key is?

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**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-ssh-key/238941/2 "2004-04-08T13:25:31Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Secure Shell (SSH), sometimes known as Secure Socket Shell, is a Unix-based command interface and protocol for securely getting access to a remote computer. It is widely used by network administrators to control Web and other kinds of servers remotely. SSH is actually a suite of three utilities - slogin, ssh, and scp - that are secure versions of the earlier UNIX utilities, rlogin, rsh, and rcp. SSH commands are encrypted and secure in several ways. Both ends of the client/server connection are authenticated using a digital certificate, and passwords are protected by being encrypted.  
> SSH uses RSA public key cryptography for both connection and authentication. Encryption algorithms include Blowfish, DES, and IDEA. IDEA is the default.
> 
> SSH2, the latest version, is a proposed set of standards from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

This comes from [Whatis.com](http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci214091,00.html), a great site for deciphering techno-jargon and acronyms. Does this sound like it’s related to your question?