Click Save public key, choose the folder, type id_rsa.pub in the File name text box, and then click Save.
However, if you want to set up two-factor authentication by using key files and a passphrase, then type a password for the key in the Key Passphrase and Confirm Passphrase text boxes. If you are generating keys to use for automated processes, you should skip this step. You can optionally add a passphrase to the key.After a few seconds, PuTTYgen creates the key. Move the mouse around to generate random data.Confirm that the Number of bits in a generated key value is set to 2048.Under Parameters, click the SSH-2 RSA radio button.To generate and configure a key pair, follow these steps: For more information, see the next section. After you have downloaded the PuTTYgen executable to your local computer, you can use it to generate a key pair.Īlthough PuTTY and PuTTYgen work on Windows 10, as of April 2018 there are native SSH programs included in Windows 10. A2 Hosting recommends PuTTYgen, a free program that you can download here.
Older versions of Microsoft Windows do not include the SSH suite of programs, so you must download an SSH key generator program first. Windows operating systems Older Windows versions To set up SSH keys, follow the appropriate procedure below for your computer's operating system. Although this configuration does not enable automatic logins, it does provide an extra layer of security, because you must have the correct key file and know the correct passphrase to access the account. The client's private key stays on your local computer, while the public key resides on the A2 Hosting server.Īlternatively, you can also create SSH keys and protect them with a passphrase for two-factor authentication. To use SSH keys, you must first create a public key and private key (also known as a key pair). SSH keys enable your computer to log in to your A2 Hosting account automatically without you typing a password. You can solve these problems by using SSH keys to connect to your account. Or what if you want to allow multiple users to transfer files securely using SFTP, as described in this article? You would need to give them your cPanel password, which would give them complete access to your account. In this scenario, you don't want to have to manually type your SSH password every time the backup process runs. But what if you want to run an automated process? Perhaps you want to automatically download a database backup at certain times to your local computer.
When you log in to your account interactively using an SSH client as described in this article, you must enter a password every time.