This version of GitHub Enterprise was discontinued on 2020-11-12. No patch releases will be made, even for critical security issues. For better performance, improved security, and new features, upgrade to the latest version of GitHub Enterprise. For help with the upgrade, contact GitHub Enterprise support.

About SSH

Using the SSH protocol, you can connect and authenticate to remote servers and services. With SSH keys, you can connect to GitHub Enterprise Server without supplying your username and personal access token at each visit.

When you set up SSH, you'll generate an SSH key and add it to the ssh-agent and then add the key to your GitHub Enterprise Server account. Adding the SSH key to the ssh-agent ensures that your SSH key has an extra layer of security through the use of a passphrase. For more information, see "Working with SSH key passphrases."

We recommend that you regularly review your SSH keys list and revoke any that are invalid or have been compromised.

If you're a member of an organization that provides SSH certificates, you can use your certificate to access that organization's repositories without adding the certificate to your GitHub Enterprise Server account. For more information, see "About SSH certificate authorities."

Further reading