Secure Shell (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network.
SSH uses public-private key pair for authentication, allowing users to log in without having to specify a password. The public key is placed on all computers that must allow access to the owner of the matching private key (the private key must be kept **secret**).
## Private Key
!!! note
The path to a private key is usually /home/username/.ssh/
A private key file in the `id_rsa` or `*.ppk` format is present locally on local side and used for example in the Pageant SSH agent (for Windows users). The private key should always be kept in a safe place.
When you first create an account with IT4Innovations, you receive an SSH key with your credentials. However, you can manage your own SSH key for authentication to clusters.