SSH is a network protocol that allows secure, encrypted data exchange between two networked hosts or devices. It is primarily used for remote access and configuration of Unix-like operating systems, including GNU/Linux distributions such as Fedora. The nature of Unix-like operating systems is such that the system can be configured nearly completely from the command line interface (CLI), whether the administrator or user is physically located at the machine, or from the other side of the planet. The ability to perform configuration remotely in a secure manner is paramount which is why SSH and its derivatives are some of the most pervasive and common protocols found on Unix-like operating systems today.
SSH was first invented in 1995 by Tatu Ylönen, at the Helsinki University of Technology in Finland. This initial implementation is now known as
SSH-1. Shortly thereafter, an effort was launched to make SSH an Internet standard under the
Internet Engineering Task Force (
IETF) guidelines. This led to the development of an updated protocol, known as
SSH-2 which, in 1999, the OpenBSD team adopted, refined and continually develops and releases under the name OpenSSH.
