CYBERDUDEBIVASH – ZERO-TRUST HARDENING CHECKLIST

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Zero-days, exploit breakdowns, IOCs, detection rules & mitigation playbooks.Follow on LinkedInApps & Security ToolsCYBERDUDEBIVASH ZERO-TRUST SECURITY CHECKLISTZero-Trust SSH Hardening • SOC-Ready • Enterprise-GradeAuthor: 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 AuthorityZero-Trust Architecture • SSH Hardening • SOC Engineering • Incident ResponseExplore CyberDudeBivash Security Solutions →

CyberDudeBivash Final Verdict

SSH cannot be eliminated—but it can be controlled. Organizations that treat SSH as a Zero-Trust surface dramatically reduce breach impact and attacker dwell time.This checklist represents CyberDudeBivash’s minimum acceptable baseline for secure SSH operations.

#CyberDudeBivash #ZeroTrust #SSHHardening #InfrastructureSecurity #SOC #BlueTeam #DetectionEngineering #IdentitySecurity