Disable SSH Root Login¶
Disabling the root login will add an extra layer of security by requiring users to log in with a regular user with the need to escalate privileges afterwards.
This will also reduces the risk of brute-force attacks on the root account.
Warning
Before disabling root login, ensure that you have created a regular user account and granted it sudo privileges. This allows you to perform administrative tasks when needed while avoiding direct root access, which is considered a security best practice.
Configuration¶
Create a user account¶
adduser <your_username>
Add the user to the sudo group by modifying the /etc/group file:
sudo vim /etc/group
An example entry can look like this:
sudo:x:27:<your_username>
Edit the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file to disable root login¶
vim /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Search for the option PermitRootLogin and set it to:
PermitRootLogin no
Restart the SSH server¶
sudo systemctl restart ssh
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