SSH Key Management for File Transfers
SSH keys are how serious SFTP automation authenticates: no passwords in scripts and no interactive prompts at 2 a.m. Managed well, they offer a tighter security story than passwords could ever offer. Managed badly, they become the opposite: unlabeled keys granting forgotten access years after their owners left.
This series follows keys through their entire life. It covers what they are and why they beat passwords for automation, and how to generate and store them properly. It covers controlling the server side with authorized_keys and building rotation and inventory habits. It covers handling host keys in unattended jobs, and retiring keys cleanly when people and systems move on.
Articles in This Series
- SSH Keys Explained for File Transfer
Key pairs in plain words — what each half does, what a fingerprint is, and why keys beat passwords for unattended transfer jobs. - Generating and Storing SSH Keys Properly
A generation walkthrough and the passphrase decision for automation. This article also covers file permissions that SSH enforces, and where private keys should and should not live. - Distributing and Controlling authorized_keys
The server-side gate: per-user and service-account patterns, and restriction options that limit what a key may do. This article also covers keeping the file under change control. - SSH Key Rotation and the Key Inventory
Why and how often to rotate honestly, and building the who-has-access-where inventory. This article also covers rotating partner-facing keys without breaking their jobs. - Host Keys and known_hosts in Automated Transfers
The server's identity: first-connection verification, safe handling of host-key changes in scripts, and pinning practices for unattended jobs. - Retiring Keys: Offboarding People and Systems
The forgotten-key problem — sweeping authorized_keys, decommissioning servers and partners, and auditing for orphaned access.
Explore More Topics
This series is part of the Sysax file transfer topic library. The library covers the protocols, security practices, automation techniques, and operational skills behind reliable file transfer. The library pairs well with the practical tools we build. Sysax Multi Server is a secure FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and HTTPS server for Windows. Sysax FTP Automation schedules and scripts secure transfers so the routine ones run themselves.