Essential Ports Every Cloud User Should Know: A Beginner’s Guide

When working in cloud environments, particularly with services like Amazon Web Services (AWS), knowing which ports are essential for secure communication and file transfers is crucial. Each port corresponds to a specific service or protocol, and understanding these can help you manage, configure, and secure your cloud instances more effectively.

This article provides a quick overview of some of the most commonly used ports in cloud computing, particularly when dealing with Linux and Windows instances.

1. Port 22: SSH (Secure Shell)

• Purpose: Securely log into a Linux instance.
• Usage: If you’re working with a Linux-based virtual machine (VM) or an EC2 instance, SSH (Secure Shell) allows you to remotely access and manage your server. SSH encrypts the data being transferred, ensuring a secure connection between your machine and the server.
• Example: ssh user@hostname -p 22
• Key takeaway: For any Linux instance you create in the cloud, enabling port 22 for SSH is essential to remotely access and administer your machine.

2. Port 21: FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

• Purpose: Upload files into a file share.
• Usage: FTP is one of the oldest protocols used to transfer files between a client and a server. Although it’s not secure (data is transmitted in plain text), it is…