🔐 What is an SSH Key Pair?
An SSH key pair is used to securely access your EC2 instance.
It consists of:
Public Key → Stored on the EC2 instance
Private Key (.pem file) → Downloaded and kept securely by the user
These two keys work together to authenticate your connection securely.
❗ Why Creating a Key Pair is Mandatory
A key pair must be created before launching an EC2 instance, because:
🔐 Enables secure, passwordless SSH authentication
🚫 Protects against brute-force password attacks
🧑💻 Ensures only users with the private key can log in
⚠️ If the private key is lost, you cannot access the instance
> AWS does not store your private key. You are fully responsible for keeping it safe.
🛠️ Steps to Create a Key Pair in AWS
1️⃣ Sign in to AWS
Go to the AWS Management Console
Navigate to:
Services → EC2 → Network & Security → Key Pairs
2️⃣ Create the Key Pair
Click Create key pair
Enter a Key pair name
Example: devops-training-key
Select:
Key pair type → RSA
Private key file format → .pem (for Mac/Linux/WSL)
Then click Create key pair
3️⃣ Download and Secure the Key
The .pem file will download automatically
Store it in a secure location (e.g., ~/.ssh/)
Set proper file permissions (for Linux/Mac):
plain text
chmod400 devops-training-key.pem⚠️ Important:
Do NOT share your private key
Do NOT upload it to GitHub
Do NOT lose it
🎯 Result
Key pair successfully created
Ready to be used while launching EC2
Secure SSH access enabled