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Does removing public SSH key protect my website?

Posted May 5, 2016 2.1k views
Security

Hi, I had worked with a developer, granting him public SSH key to my droplet.

  1. Now that our work is completed, with me removing the SSH key, does this mean that he could no longer access any of my website data and database through the droplet?
  2. I also found that I do not know ‘root password’ and so I request for a reset of that (with Digital Ocean notifying me that the reset link or something has been emailed to me) - do I have to worry if anyone (like my developer) could break into my website?

*noob question I know, as I’m a non developer/non technical person. Thanks in advanced

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ninelives1980
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ninelives1980
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2 answers
Woet May 5, 2016
  1. No, you need to SSH in to remove it from the authorized_keys file.
  2. Yes, if he had malicious intends from the beginning he could have installed a backdoor.
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ninelives1980 May 5, 2016
  1. Am I to understand correctly that what I did, i.e. removing the public SSH key under settings/security doesn’t help unless I also remove it manually through the authorized_keys file? How can I assess this file? *am asking as I’m a total non technical person
  2. I reckon there’s no way to check for this, innit?
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  • Woet May 5, 2016
    1. Yes, removing it from the panel doesn’t affect droplets.
    2. There is with a lot of effort which is usually not worth it.
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