SSH
n.n. Stands for Secure Shell. A safe way for one computer to talk to another over the internet so that hackers cannot see the information being sent.
n. Abbreviation for Secure Shell. A cryptographic network protocol used for secure data communication, remote command-line login, and remote command execution between two networked computers.
I use SSH to log into my work computer from home.
The system administrator used SSH to securely access the server and update the software without exposing the password to the network.
By utilizing public-key authentication over SSH, developers can establish a secure, encrypted tunnel that protects sensitive data transfers from potential man-in-the-middle attacks on unsecured networks.
An initialism for Secure Shell, coined in 1995 by Tatu Ylönen. It was developed as a replacement for earlier, unencrypted protocols such as Telnet and rlogin.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used as a modifier before another noun, such as 'SSH key' or 'SSH client'.
Last updated July 22, 2026