SSH SFTP Public Key Authentication in Cerberus FTP Server

Cerberus FTP Server Professional and Enterprise editions allow administrators to configure SSH public key authentication for user accounts establishing SFTP connections. Administrators can combine public key authentication with password authentication to provide stronger authentication options for clients.  You can also combine any combination of password and/or public key authentication methods for individual users.

How Public Key Authentication Works

When using public key authentication, Cerberus will verify that the signature presented by an SFTP client matches the public key associated with that user.

The Cerberus FTP Server User Manager allows each user to be configured with a required SSH authentication method. The authentication method can be set to require either a password only (the default), a public key only, both a password and a public key, or a password or a public key.

There is also an option for selecting a public key file when the authentication method for a user is set to public key or password and public key authentication. The public key file can be in SSH format (as defined in RFC 4716), OpenSSH v2 format, or from a PEM or DER encoded certificate.