Appendix ssh host keys, Ssh host keys – Nortel Networks NN46120-104 User Manual

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Appendix
SSH host keys

SSH host keys serve much the same purpose as server certificates in
SSL/TLS, i.e. they primarily allow clients to authenticate the server,
protecting against e.g. "man in the middle" attacks. As with certificates,
public/private key pairs are used. Unlike certificates, there is no public key
infrastructure and no certificate authorities for the SSH host keys.

Instead, the security of SSH sessions depends on SSH clients keeping
track of the public keys that should be used to authenticate different SSH
server hosts, not silently accepting new keys from previously unknown
server hosts, and refusing or at least strongly warning the user from
proceeding with the connection if there is a key mismatch.

Nortel VPN Gateway

User Guide

NN46120-104

02.01

Standard

14 April 2008