Understanding the SSH process for secure remote server access

SSH is a protocol that establishes an encrypted connection between a local client and a remote server over a network. After successful authentication via password or SSH key, the user typically gains access to a text-based command-line shell on the remote machine. The shell session runs commands on the server, subject to the permissions of the authenticated user account. While commonly used for interactive login, SSH can also facilitate secure file transfers and single remote command execution.