While telnet and ftp provide terminal access and file transfer capabilities to a remote machine, their transmissions are completely exposed to being 'eavesdropped'. Any information, especially passwords, can be grabbed during transmission.

ssh/sftp (Secure shell/secure file transfer) are secure replacements for telnet/ftp.

Obtaining an ssh Implementation

• SSH Communications Security provided a free non-commercial license for educational use of a early version of their commercial software. This non-commercial version can be obtained here as a self-installing Windows executable. (Right-click and save the executable to your machine; running the exe which will install ssh on your machine).

  In addition to secure transmission, the program provides a GUI-based file transfer (based upon the familiar drag-and-drop interface) and a much friendlier and configurable terminal screen, supporting multiple windows, fonts, colors, etc.

• PuTTY is an open source ssh implementation which provides shell support only. The web site is here. THere is also a version that runs 'portably' on a USB stick (leaving no traces on the machine when you remove the stick).

• CoreFTPLite is an SFTP client that provides secure file transfer. The web site is here.

  Using ssh

  Assuming you've downloaded and installed the software from SSH Communications Security, here is how to connect to the vc13 machine.

  Click on the ssh icon installed on your desktop. A blank, inactive terminal screen will appear. Click the Quick Connect on the tool bar, and then fill in the host name (in the image I am connecting to vc13.vc.panix.com and the user name (weiss in the image-- you should use your own username that you received ffrom me via email -- leave the other two boxes unchanged and click Connect:

  

  You will be prompted for your password and then connected to the remote machine. A pop-up may appear asking if you wish to name this profile (so you don't have to enter the information next time).

  Once connected you have a nice terminal interface. Copying and pasting using your mouse is available (though you use Ctl-Ins and Shift-Ins for copy and paste respectively (rather than the Ctl-C/Ctl-V you're probably accustomed to).

  You can open additional terminal windows by going to Window/New Terminal on the menu.

  ssh also provides a GUI-based file transfer facilitiy. Go to Window/New File Transfer:

  

  You can drag and drop files between your local PC and the remote machine.