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Cisco 350, 350X and 550X Series Managed Switches, Firmware Release 2.4, ver 0.4 385
 
Security: SSH Client 
This section describes the device when it functions as an SSH client.
It covers the following topics:
•Overview
• SSH User Authentication
• SSH Server Authentication
• Change User Password on the SSH Server
Overview
Secure Copy (SCP) and SSH
Secure Shell or SSH is a network protocol that enables data to be exchanged on a secure 
channel between an SSH client (in this case, the device) and an SSH server. 
SSH client helps the user manage a network composed of one or more switches in which 
various system files are stored on a central SSH server. When configuration files are 
transferred over a network, Secure Copy (SCP), which is an application that utilizes the SSH 
protocol, ensures that sensitive data, such as username/password cannot be intercepted.
Secure Copy (SCP) is used to securely transfer firmware, boot image, configuration files, 
language files, and log files from a central SCP server to a device.
With respect to SSH, the SCP running on the device is an SSH client application and the SCP 
server is a SSH server application.
When files are downloaded via TFTP or HTTP, the data transfer is unsecured. 
When files are downloaded via SCP, the information is downloaded from the SCP server to the 
device via a secure channel. The creation of this secure channel is preceded by authentication, 
which ensures that the user is permitted to perform the operation.