Software >> Services >> SSH >> What is the difference between SSH public key authentication vs certificate authentication

 

Public key authentication

Uses asymmetric cryptography with public/private key pair.   You sign data with your private key and other party (which you have given your public key) can verify your signature with the corresponding public key. 
 

Certificate authentication

Similar but instead of distributing your public key to the other party, you bind the public key to a name (subject) with a certificate.  A certificate being a data structure that includes public key, name and other data like expiration date and permissions.  This data is signed by a certificate authority (CA).

 

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