SSH Secure Shell is a program that allows secure network services over an insecure network, such as the Internet. The Secure Shell concept originated on UNIX as a replacement for the insecure ”Berkeley services”, that is, the rsh, rlogin, and rcp commands. SSH Secure Shell replaces other, insecure terminal applications (such as Telnet and FTP ). It allows you to securely login to remote host computers, to execute commands safely in a remote computer, to securely copy remote files, to forward X11 sessions (on UNIX), and to provide secure encrypted and authenticated communications between two non-trusted hosts. Also arbitrary TCP/IP ports can be forwarded over the secure channel, enabling secure connection, for example, to an e-mail service. SSH Secure Shell with its array of unmatched security features is an essential tool for today’s network environment. It is a powerful guardian against the numerous security hazards that nowadays threaten network communications.
(from SSH Secure Shell for Servers Administrator's Guide - www.ssh.com)
What are fingerprints? The fingerprint is a string of characters that establish the validity of the secure connection for the server you wish to connect to. If the fingerprints do not match there could be a problem with the connection.
If the fingerprint you receive is different than that listed above please contact the Help Desk at 5800 immediately.