Is port 22 safe to leave open?

Port 22 is safe when configured with hardened security settings: enforce cryptographic public-key authentication, disable password logins, disallow direct root access, and implement an intrusion prevention daemon like Fail2ban.

Why should I change the default SSH port away from 22?

Changing port 22 to a non-standard high port (e.g., 2222 or 49222) does not increase cryptographic security, but it eliminates over 95% of background automated brute-force botnet log spam.

How can I verify if port 22 is reachable on my server?

Input your server's domain or public IPv4 address into our Open Port Checker tool with port 22 selected, or execute 'ssh -v user@hostname -p 22' from your terminal.

Home/Open Port Checker/Port 22

Port 21 Port 25

Well-Known Port Reference

Port 22: SSH (Secure Shell) (TCP)

Secure Shell protocol for encrypted command-line shell access, secure remote system administration, and SFTP transfers.

Port Number

Transport

TCP

Security Risk

Medium

Standard / RFC

RFC 4253

Test Port 22 Reachability Live

Verify whether Port 22 is open, closed, or filtered on your server or public IP address.

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Service Architecture & Function

Port 22 is the standard port for SSH (Secure Shell) daemons such as OpenSSH. It provides cryptographically encrypted remote shell sessions, secure file transfers (SFTP and SCP), automated deployment pipelines, and encrypted TCP port tunneling. SSH uses public-key cryptography to authenticate remote systems and verify clients.

Security Profile & Hardening

Because port 22 is a universal standard for server administration, public-facing SSH servers are continuously targeted by automated botnets conducting dictionary and brute-force attacks. Secure port 22 by disabling root login, disallowing password authentication in favor of Ed25519 SSH keys, configuring Fail2ban, or moving the listening port.

Example Firewall Commands:

# UFW (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo ufw allow 22/tcp

# iptables (Direct Kernel)

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT

Frequently Asked Questions

Technical answers and configuration advice for Port 22.

Port 22 is used for Secure Shell (SSH), which enables encrypted terminal management of Linux/Unix servers, secure file transfers via SFTP, and remote port forwarding.