Securing SSH on EC2: What are the real threats?

Miguel Hernández's article delves into the significance of securing SSH on Amazon EC2 instances, highlighting the potential risks associated with misconfiguration. SSH, the Secure Shell Protocol, is a critical entry point that enables remote server management, replacing the less secure telnet. The article discusses various scenarios where SSH vulnerabilities can be exploited, such as leaving port 22 open to the world, which increases the attack surface and invites risks like brute force attacks and key pair leaks. It emphasizes the importance of using best practices, like restricting SSH access and disabling password authentication, to mitigate these risks. Compliance standards like the CIS Benchmark demand strict SSH configurations across major cloud providers to reduce exposure, and tools like Prowler and Sysdig are recommended for monitoring and securing cloud environments. Despite the daunting nature of these threats, the article reassures that while misconfigurations do not equate to immediate breaches, securing SSH remains essential to prevent potential security incidents.