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Date:      Mon, 29 Jan 2024 14:34:00 +0000
From:      Norman Gray <gray@nxg.name>
To:        Jonathan Adams <jfadams1963@proton.me>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Enabling SSHD
Message-ID:  <3CBFBF9D-B141-4417-AF5B-1E85CE6ABBC9@nxg.name>
In-Reply-To: <BHs6axVCDQRUWc9O5KLVIF5b9tVo_qUIXZfJ3ASj6U-6sfJKBhcSrOn_VWfYfrxOQyFSEZKLjQuHbBKJ57NuwR-jAl7kDRYp7ix7bDVgCfk=@proton.me>
References:  <20240129125745.fuh6nnc4dooto2oz@yosemite.mars.lan> <CPja5CJLsYzkPuo_qd5lnJuUj6lBBCW2uHo3NcbFubhGSKa2gNEu0ETvjZSAwI_-rQFuVvUJR2s10xbz40uL17k1lpLSCiz8azHd77S9LK8=@proton.me> <BHs6axVCDQRUWc9O5KLVIF5b9tVo_qUIXZfJ3ASj6U-6sfJKBhcSrOn_VWfYfrxOQyFSEZKLjQuHbBKJ57NuwR-jAl7kDRYp7ix7bDVgCfk=@proton.me>

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Greetings.

On 29 Jan 2024, at 13:14, Jonathan Adams wrote:

>  Please disable root logins via SSH. Even on your LAN, it's bad practic=
e.

I think this is going a step too far.  I'd agree with you that password-b=
ased root access is likely to be problematic (pace Paul Foster's comments=
 elsewhere in the thread), but key-based ssh authentication, plus either =
group or cert-based AuthZ, seems adequately secure.

ssh certs are quite nice -- [1] is a nice write-up.  Short-validity ssh c=
erts let you control who has access, and allow clear logging of who has c=
onnected.  Password-based root logins don't make clear who has logged in,=
 and to me that's an important argument against permitting that.  I don't=
 see a difference, in security terms, between permitting sudo to a root s=
hell, and permitting cert-based ssh access.

(I'm talking only about internal connections, of course -- outward facing=
 sshd servers are a different issue).

Best wishes,

Norman


[1] https://engineering.fb.com/2016/09/12/security/scalable-and-secure-ac=
cess-with-ssh/

-- =

Norman Gray  :  https://nxg.me.uk



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