SSH Keys for SFTP in SFMC

If you want to use your own SSH keys for use in SFTP transfers to and from SFMC, then here’s what you need to know.

SFMC pushing files to third-party SFTP via SSH

SFMC	Third-party
Private SSH Key Specifications RSA 2048-bit OpenSSH format Can be created with or without passphrase using with ssh-keygen or puttygen Installation SSH option must be enabled by SF Support Upload key file as SSH type in Setup > Admin > Data Management > Key Management	Public SSH Key Specifications See Private SSH Key specifications Installation Specific to third-party key management system

SFMC

Third-party

Private SSH Key

Specifications

RSA
2048-bit
OpenSSH format
Can be created with or without passphrase using with ssh-keygen or puttygen

Installation

SSH option must be enabled by SF Support
Upload key file as SSH type in Setup > Admin > Data Management > Key Management

Public SSH Key

Specifications

See Private SSH Key specifications

Installation

Specific to third-party key management system

Third-party pushing files to SFMC SFTP via SSH

SFMC	Third-party
Public SSH Key Specifications See Private SSH Key specifications Installation Create a new SFTP Account for connection in Setup > Admin > Data Management > FTP Accounts SSH option must be enabled by SF Support Upload key file as SSH type in Setup > Admin > Data Management > Key Management	Private SSH Key Specifications RSA 4096-bit PEM format only With or without passphrase Can be created with ssh-keygen or puttygen Installation Specific to third-party key management system

SFMC

Third-party

Public SSH Key

Specifications

See Private SSH Key specifications

Installation

Create a new SFTP Account for connection in Setup > Admin > Data Management > FTP Accounts
SSH option must be enabled by SF Support
Upload key file as SSH type in Setup > Admin > Data Management > Key Management

Private SSH Key

Specifications

RSA
4096-bit
PEM format only
With or without passphrase
Can be created with ssh-keygen or puttygen

Installation

Specific to third-party key management system

For the first scenario (pushing files from SFMC to a third-party server), here’s how you can generate an SFMC-friendly SSH key pair with ssh-keygen.
Just simply open a command prompt and issue these commands (this is specific to Windows, but it’s very similar on a Mac):

> ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 2048

Generating public/private rsa key pair.

Enter file in which to save the key (C:\DEFAULTUSERPATH/.ssh/id_rsa): c:\YOURDESTINATIONPATH\testkey

Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):

Enter same passphrase again:

Your identification has been saved in c:\YOURDESTINATIONPATH\testkey.

Your public key has been saved in c:\YOURDESTINATIONPATH\testkey.pub.

The key fingerprint is:

(redacted)

> dir /b testkey*

testkey

testkey.pub

> ren testkey testkey.ppk

For the second scenario, (pushing files from a third-party server to SFMC), here’s how to get it in the correct format for SFMC with ssh-keygen:

> ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -m PEM

Generating public/private rsa key pair.

Enter file in which to save the key (C:\DEFAULTUSERPATH/.ssh/id_rsa): c:\YOURDESTINATIONPATH\testkey

Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):

Enter same passphrase again:

Your identification has been saved in c:\YOURDESTINATIONPATH\testkey.

Your public key has been saved in c:\YOURDESTINATIONPATH\testkey.pub.

The key fingerprint is:

(redacted)

> dir /b testkey*

testkey

testkey.pub

> ssh-keygen -e -f testkey.pub > testkey-ssh2.pub

> ren testkey testkey.ppk

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