What is true regarding public and private SSH keys? (Choose two.)

Question

Options

• AFor each user account, there is exactly one key pair that can be used to log into that account.
• BThe private key must never be revealed to anyone.
• CSeveral different public keys may be generated for the same private key.
• DTo maintain the private key's confidentiality, the SSH key pair must be created by its owner.
• ETo allow remote logins, the user's private key must be copied to the remote server.

• A
  8% (4)
• B
  73% (37)
• C
  16% (8)
• E
  4% (2)

Explanation

B and D are correct because the private key is the secret half of an asymmetric key pair - exposing it lets anyone impersonate you, so it must stay secret always. D is also correct because the key pair must be created by the owner to ensure the private key is never generated somewhere else and potentially seen by another party.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A is false - you can have multiple key pairs authorized for a single account (the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file can hold many public keys).
• C is false - it's backwards. A single private key generates exactly one corresponding public key; you cannot derive multiple different public keys from the same private key.
• E is dangerously wrong - it's the public key that gets copied to the remote server (into ~/.ssh/authorized_keys). The private key never leaves your machine.

Memory tip: Think of the private key like your house key - you never hand it to anyone, and you definitely don't mail a copy to the place you're trying to enter. You only share the lock (public key) with the remote server.

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