Why Use SSH Keys Instead of Passwords?

Using cryptographic SSH keys provides significantly higher security than passwords, completely eliminating the risk of brute-force attacks against your Linux cloud server.

1. Generate an SSH Key Pair on Your Computer

On your local computer (Windows PowerShell, macOS Terminal, or Linux), execute the following command:

  ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C your_email@example.com  

Press Enter to save in the default location. You may optionally set a passphrase for extra protection.

2. Install Your Public Key on Your VPS

Copy your public key to your cloud server using ssh-copy-id:

  ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub root@YOUR_SERVER_IP  

Alternatively, paste the contents of your public key into your user Profile in the VPS4You panel under the SSH Public Key section for automated deployment on new installations.

3. Disable Password Authentication (Optional but Recommended)

Once you have verified that you can successfully log in using your SSH key without typing your password, edit the SSH daemon configuration:

• Open /etc/ssh/sshd_config in your favorite text editor.
• Find PasswordAuthentication and change it to no.
• Ensure PubkeyAuthentication is set to yes.
• Restart the SSH service: systemctl restart sshd

Important: Always keep your existing SSH terminal session open while testing a new terminal connection to avoid locking yourself out in case of a configuration typo.