Save at least the private key by clicking Save private key. An example of a passphrase would be: I,L1k3,C0l0rl355,R41nb0w5!? Passphrases are typically longer than passwords. Without a passphrase an attacker that successfully gains access to your private key, will also obtain access to the remote server. This will add an extra layer of protection in case the file is compromised. Then click “Generate”, and start moving the mouse within the Window.Īt this point it is highly recommended to add a passphrase to your private key. To create a new key pair, select the type of key to generate from the bottom of the screen, ED25519 is the type of key that we recommended. To generate a public/private key pair we can use PuTTYgen, an application commonly installed as part of PuTTY. The strength of this system relies on keeping the private key private, using it on systems only accessible by the user (e.g. Remote systems authenticate users by encrypting a message using the public key that can only be decrypted with the private key hold by the user. This method uses passphrase protected public-private key pairs, a cryptographic system where the public key is disseminated to the remote system that require secure access. It is possible to configure some common Windows applications such as PuTTY and WinSCP to access our systems without entering a password at every login.

Windows pass key