Hardening SSH Access: Beyond Password Authentication
SSH is the gateway to your Linux environment. If left unhardened, it's the first target for brute-force attacks.
1. Disable Root Login
Never allow direct root SSH access. Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config:
PermitRootLogin no
2. Enforce Ed25519 Keys
Disable password authentication entirely and require SSH keys:
PasswordAuthentication no PubkeyAuthentication yes
3. Fail2Ban
Install Fail2Ban to automatically ban IPs that show malicious behavior.
Always remember to test your configuration before restarting the SSH service!