SSH - the Secure Shell - is a most in-use, powerful, software-based solution to keep network secure. Each time a computer sends data to its network, SSH automatically encrypts it and decrypts it when it reaches its destined recipient. So, it makes a transparent  encryption possible - clients  work smoothly,  not feeling  that  their  communication is being safely encrypted  on  their  network. Moreover, SSH employs advanced, secure encryption algorithms and is much powerful that we find it working with mission-critical applications at large enterprises.

In recent past, many holes and vulnerabilities were identified in telnet access to web hosting; this led all do-it-yourself webmasters to move quickly towards more safety. Many small business owners who developed sites on their own after undergoing the tough procedure of learning how to create HTML pages, optimize images, and place their content on the web server; these users mostly use an FTP program integrated with the telnet.  But now, all users having a telnet should shift to the latest data transfer program SSH for two main reasons:

1- While logging in to a web server with telnet, you prove your identify by entering a username and password. The text of the password does not appear on your screen so that anybody standing with you should not get this personal information. But this is not with online spies. While sending this information to the web server, telnet does not encrypt it because it would make it complicated to decode. So, it sends your confidential data across the web in form of a packet of plain text. "Sniffer" is a most common utility hackers use to get your passwords and get access to the back-end of your server. In this way, they are easily able to damage your site, your secret data, and your credibility as well.

2- In 2001, another vulnerability in telnet revealed that Web servers are endangered to an exploit named buffer overflow; particularly, the side-server components of telnet - Telnet Daemon and telnetd. These are used in most of web servers having versions of UNIX, Linux, BSD family and Solaris; however, Microsoft servers are safe. The skilled Unix/Linux community is quickly closing this hole. Many web hosts have even decided to shut down telnet access to their servers.

SSH hosting removes all vulnerabilities
Because of these vulnerabilities in telnet, most of web professionals choose the more protected SSH while hosting their sites. Telnet is now said to be "Unsecure Shell"; here "shell" means shell access. This is exactly the same as you reach the C: through command prompt in DOS and acquire a full access to the whole operating system. Similarly, hackers always try to attain shell access, so they can make severe damage to other’s site and also affect some more web sites on the same server if it is hosting multiple sites.

People use SSH rather than telnet because all the earlier mentioned vulnerabilities don't exist. Your confidential information is encrypted and then sent over the web to the server; this means even if anybody made out to intercept the data package, he could not learn it unless he has the encryption keys and these encryption keys are just present on your system and the web server. Secure shell hosting also doesn’t have the buffer overflow vulnerability as detected in telnet.

Initially, when you use SSH program, you may feel it challenging to learn a few new commands, but once you understand the basics, you will find SSH very simple.