When deploying a new VPS, you probably want to start building immediately and not spend your first minutes configuring access or copying passwords around.
That is why we added SSH key support directly into MyTilaa.
You can now upload your own SSH keys in MyTilaa and automatically use them during the installation of your VPS. The result? Faster access, improved security and one less manual step in your deployment workflow.
Because we think typing passwords is not exactly the highlight of modern infrastructure.
What are SSH keys?
SSH keys are a secure way to authenticate yourself when connecting to a server through SSH. Instead of logging in with a password, you use a cryptographic key pair consisting of:
• A public key, which is placed on the server
• A private key, which stays on your local machine
This method is widely used by developers and system administrators because it is both more secure and more convenient than password-based authentication.
Note: Make sure you do not re-use your SSH-keys. We also advise to use a passphrase and store this passphrase in a password manager.
Note: Make sure you do not re-use your SSH-keys. We also advise to use a passphrase and store this passphrase in a password manager.
What changed in MyTilaa?
You can now add your SSH public keys directly in the MyTilaa portal. During the first installation of a new VPS, or when reinstalling an existing VPS, your selected SSH key is automatically added to the server using cloud-init.
This means you can immediately connect to your VPS after deployment without manually adding keys afterwards.
In practice, this allows you:
• Faster access to your VPS
• Less manual configuration
• Improved security by reducing password usage
• A smoother deployment workflow
How does it work?
The process is quite straightforward:
1. Generate an SSH key pair on your local machine
2. Add your public SSH key to MyTilaa
3. Deploy a new VPS or reinstall an existing one
4. Connect directly to your server using SSH authentication
Once your VPS is online, your key is already configured and ready to use.
Generating an SSH key
If you do not already have an SSH key pair, you can generate one locally.
For most Linux and macOS systems:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519
Or, if Ed25519 is not supported:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
After generation, your public key can usually be found in:
~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
or
~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
Adding your SSH key in MyTilaa
Inside MyTilaa, you can store one or multiple SSH keys in your account. During VPS deployment, the key will automatically be injected into the server through cloud-init.
Important to know:
This currently applies only to:
• Newly created VPS instances
• Reinstalled VPS instances
Existing running VPS instances will not automatically receive newly added SSH keys.
Why we use cloud-init
Cloud-init allows automatic configuration during the provisioning of cloud servers. By integrating SSH key deployment into cloud-init, we make the onboarding process more reliable, automated and developer-friendly.
No additional scripts. No manual copy-pasting. Just deploy and connect.
Security benefits of SSH keys
Besides convenience, SSH keys also improve security significantly compared to password authentication.
Benefits include:
• Stronger authentication
• Protection against brute-force attacks
• Easier automation and CI/CD integrations
• No shared or reused passwords
For many production environments, SSH keys are considered the standard approach for secure server access.
Get started
You can start using SSH keys today directly from MyTilaa.
Want the full technical walkthrough, troubleshooting steps, or platform-specific instructions?
Check our knowledge base article here: https://support.tilaa.com/hc/en-us/articles/228651707-Setting-up-SSH-Keys-Public-Key-Authentication