How to Change the SSH Port for Your Linux Based Server

Logging in, you might have noticed this, sometimes:

You will notice that whenever you leave ssh on the standard port, attempted logins fill up your authorization logs. Changing to a different port will make it less frequent.This is because the vast majority of people hunting for any open ssh servers will look for port 22.

If it’s more difficult to scan for your ssh server, your chances of being attacked with an ssh server exploit are reduced. A determined attacker can still find the port if they know your server’s IP address via another means (perhaps via a website you host) and they can launch attacks once they find it.

But for now lets get those script kiddies off your back!

Follow along the video, or go to the steps below it to change your ssh port.

Step 1. Login as root.

Step 2. Open the file sshd_config, via the command

vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Step 3. Press “i”, to get into the insert mode.

Step 4. Locate “# Port 22”, change the port to something else, and remove “#”

Step 5. Press “Esc”, to get out of the insert mode.

Step 6. Type the command “:w”, and hit enter, to write the changes.

Step 7. Type the command “:q”, and hit enter, to quit.

Step 8. Restart sshd by running the command

service sshd restart

Congratulations!, you are a Tad Bit secure.