LPIC-1 Exam 102 v5 (Linux Administrator) — Question 47

What is a purpose of an SSH host key?

Answer options

• A. It must be sent by any SSH client in addition to a user key in order to identify the client's host.
• B. It is root key by which all user SSH keys must be signed.
• C. It provides the server's identity information to connecting SSH clients.
• D. It authenticates any user that logs into a remote machine from the key's host.
• E. It is used by system services like cron, syslog or a backup job to automatically connect to remote hosts.

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is C because the SSH host key is essential for providing identity verification of the server to the client, ensuring secure connections. Option A is incorrect as the client does not send the host key; it only sends its user key. Option B is wrong because the host key is not a root key for user SSH keys. Option D misrepresents the purpose of the host key, which does not authenticate users but rather identifies the server. Option E is also incorrect since while services may use SSH, the host key specifically pertains to server identity.