Re: OT: Safe to access SSH server from work?

[Jerome BENOIT <g6299304p@rezozer.net>]

On 06/05/11 02:54, Rob Owens wrote:
> On Thu, May 05, 2011 at 03:46:27PM -0700, CACook@quantum-sci.com wrote:
> > On Thursday 5 May, 2011 15:09:02 Brian wrote:
> > > Use a strong password or ssh keys for access to the server. The question
> > > is whether you trust the machine you use at work.
> >
> > OK, say you -don't- trust your machine at work.  Workarounds?
> You could run Debian Live on a USB stick (or any other live distro,
> really).  Boot your work machine with that, and you will have a trusted
> machine.  Use that to ssh to your home machine.
>
> And follow the advice that others have already given you.  Specifically,
> disallow password authentication.  That is a biggie.  Even if you have a
> strong password, others on your home machine may not.  As already said,
> you can use AllowUsers in sshd_config to allow only specific users to
> have ssh access.
>
> I hesitate to mention this, because it will start an argument about
> security through obscurity, but you can run your ssh server on a port
> other than 22.  It really does nothing for security, but it will keep
> your firewall logs a lot cleaner because it avoids pesky scripts that
> circulate the internet, trying to brute force ssh servers.

A good point about this is that it allows to set up easily the port table
of your home router as a route table: the flow can be directed to computers
according to the port of the flow. In particular, you can direct the port 22
to a dummy computer, and you obscure port to your important computer.

Jerome  



> -Rob