Preface

Privacy is a basic human right, but on today's computer networks, privacy isn't guaranteed. Much of the data that travels on the Internet or local networks is transmitted as plain text, and may be captured and viewed by anybody with a little technical know-how. The email you send, the files you transmit between computers, even the passwords you type may be readable by others. Imagine the damage that can be done if an untrusted third party -- a competitor, the CIA, your in-laws -- intercepted your most sensitive communications in transit.

Network security is big business as companies scramble to protect their information assets behind firewalls, establish virtual private networks (VPNs), and encrypt files and transmissions. But hidden away from all the bustle, there is a small, unassuming, yet robust solution many big companies have missed. It's reliable, reasonably easy to use, cheap, and available for most of today's operating systems.

It's SSH, the Secure Shell.

---