SSH Keys

SSH keys are a method of authenticating a user into a server or service (e.g. Bitbucket, EC2). Using SSH keys for authentication provide several benefits.

SSH keys come in two files, the private key and the public key. Private keys should be kept secret and never shared (this includes storing private keys in Git, on ftp servers, or sending them via chat or email). Public keys on the other hand are meant to be shared. Once you have created a SSH key pair (private/public), you will install the public key on the server/service you want to authenticate with. When authenticating, the private key will be sent to the service and the service will verify its authenticity by looking for the corresponding public key. Once setup, this entire authentication process happens automatically.

Creating a keypair for Bitbucket

You'll need to create an SSH keypair to connect to Bitbucket. You can follow the guidelines here:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/bitbucket/set-up-ssh-for-git-728138079.html

Make sure once you set up your SSH key that you copy your public key into your Bitbucket profile.