Disable SSH Password Authentication on Bluehost Shared Hosting

Ready to boost your server’s security? Once you’ve set up your SSH keys, you can take the next step by disabling password authentication for SSH. This helps keep your account safe from unauthorized access.

If you lose your private key, you won’t be able to access your server. If that happens, just reach out to Bluehost support and we’ll help you re-enable password authentication.

Here’s how you can disable password authentication for SSH:

Open the SSH configuration file by running:
```
nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
```
Find these settings in the file and set them to no (if they’re already there, just update the value):
```
ChallengeResponseAuthentication no
PasswordAuthentication no
UsePAM no
```
Restart the SSH daemon to apply your changes:
```
/etc/init.d/sshd restart
```

If you need further assistance, Bluehost Chat Support is available 24 hours a day, 7days a week while Bluehost Phone Support is available 7 days a week from 7 am-12 midnight EST.

Chat Support - While on our website, you should see a CHAT bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. Click anywhere on the bubble to begin a chat session.
Phone Support -
- US: 888-401-4678
- International: +1 801-765-9400

You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.

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