Secure Shell is the default remote access protocol on a newly installed Oracle Solaris system. Secure Shell in Oracle Solaris is built on top of the Open Source toolkit, OpenSSL, which implements the Secure Sockets Layer and Transport Layer Security.
Two distinct versions of the toolkit are available in Oracle Solaris.
Version 1.0.0 is the default version that Secure Shell runs on.
Version 0.9.8 implements FIPS-140FIPS 140, a U.S. government computer security standard for cryptography modules.
For information about how to use Secure Shell in FIPS 140 mode, see Secure Shell and FIPS 140.
In Secure Shell, authentication is provided by the use of passwords, public keys, or both. All network traffic is encrypted. Thus, Secure Shell prevents a would-be intruder from being able to read an intercepted communication. Secure Shell also prevents an adversary from spoofing the system.
Secure Shell can also be used as an on-demand virtual private network (VPN). A VPN can forward X Window system traffic or can connect individual port numbers between the local machines and remote machines over an encrypted network link.
With Secure Shell, you can perform these actions:
Log in to another host securely over an unsecured network.
Copy files securely between the two hosts.
Run commands securely on the remote host.
On the server side, Secure Shell supports Version 2 (v2) of the Secure Shell protocol. On the client side, in addition to v2, the client supports Version 1 (v1).