Computer networks are an inherently insecure medium. Unless you are assured that your packets will never pass through a router or computer which you do not have direct control over, your data is not safe. It may be viewed by an . . .
Computer networks are an inherently insecure medium. Unless you are assured that your packets will never pass through a router or computer which you do not have direct control over, your data is not safe. It may be viewed by an untrustworthy sysadmin or script kiddie, it may be tampered with en route, or it may be intercepted and replaced with entirely different data. With the new legislation which is being introduced to Congress in the name of fighting terrorism, the situation becomes worse. Now, more than ever, strong encryption and authentication are of paramount importance. In this article I will introduce the basics of cryptography and show the basic and advanced usage of OpenSSH, a free implementation of SSH Communications' Secure Shell tool.