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CYBERDUDEBIVASH ZERO-TRUST SECURITY CHECKLIST

Zero-Trust SSH Hardening • SOC-Ready • Enterprise-Grade

Author: CyberDudeBivash | Classification: Infrastructure Security / Blue Team

Executive Summary

SSH is one of the most trusted—and most abused—administrative protocols in modern environments. In a Zero-Trust model, SSH must be treated as a high-risk access channel, not a default-trusted utility.

This checklist defines how CyberDudeBivash recommends implementing Zero-Trust principles for SSH to prevent credential abuse, lateral movement, and post-compromise persistence.

CyberDudeBivash Authority Insight
If SSH trusts identity by default, attackers will exploit it. Zero-Trust assumes compromise and verifies every session.

1. Identity-First SSH Controls (Zero-Trust Foundation)

☐ Disable password-based SSH authentication globally
☐ Enforce key-based authentication only
☐ Use short-lived SSH certificates instead of static keys
☐ Bind SSH access to centralized identity (IAM / IdP)
☐ Enforce MFA before SSH session establishment

Zero-Trust starts with identity—not IP addresses or network location.

2. Access Minimization & Least Privilege

☐ No shared SSH accounts (root, admin, ops)
☐ Per-user SSH access with unique identity mapping
☐ Restrict SSH access to required hosts only
☐ Implement role-based SSH authorization
☐ Enforce command restrictions where possible

Every unnecessary SSH permission is an attacker advantage.

3. Network-Level Zero-Trust Enforcement

☐ Remove direct SSH exposure to the internet
☐ Use bastion hosts or Zero-Trust access brokers
☐ Enforce per-session network authorization
☐ Restrict SSH by source identity, not IP alone
☐ Log and alert on unexpected SSH paths

Network trust is not security. Identity-aware access is.

4. SSH Configuration Hardening

☐ Disable root login over SSH
☐ Enforce strong cryptographic algorithms only
☐ Disable legacy ciphers and MACs
☐ Set strict session timeouts
☐ Limit authentication attempts

SSH defaults are designed for compatibility—not security.

5. SSH Key & Certificate Lifecycle Management

☐ Inventory all SSH keys across systems
☐ Rotate SSH keys on a defined schedule
☐ Remove orphaned and unused keys
☐ Monitor changes to authorized_keys files
☐ Enforce expiration on all SSH credentials

CyberDudeBivash Warning
Stale SSH keys are one of the most common persistence mechanisms after breaches.

6. Continuous Verification & Session Monitoring

☐ Log all SSH authentication events
☐ Monitor session duration anomalies
☐ Detect lateral movement via SSH
☐ Alert on SSH usage outside change windows
☐ Record high-risk administrative sessions

Zero-Trust is continuous—not a one-time check.

7. SOC Detection & Response Alignment

☐ SIEM detections for SSH brute force + success
☐ Alerts for new SSH key creation
☐ Correlate SSH with IAM and EDR signals
☐ Incident response playbook for SSH abuse

Hardening without detection is incomplete security.

8. Compliance & Governance Controls

☐ Document SSH access policies
☐ Enforce approval workflows for SSH access
☐ Conduct quarterly SSH access reviews
☐ Align controls with regulatory requirements

Auditors expect proof—not assumptions.

CyberDudeBivash Zero-Trust Authority

Zero-Trust Architecture • SSH Hardening • SOC Engineering • Incident Response

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