OpenSSH, the world’s most popular open-source, 100% complete SSH (Secure Shell) protocol that also includes SFTP (Secure FTP) client and server support, has been updated today, March 18, to version 6.8. This release includes a great number of new features and many bug fixes to make OpenSSH more reliable and stable than ever.

Prominent features of OpenSSH 6.8 include a new FingerprintHash option, experimental host key rotation support, a new ssh_config HostbasedKeyType option, SSH protocol v.1 workaround for the Meyer, new sshd_config PubkeyAcceptedKeyTypes and HostbasedAcceptedKeyTypes options, a new RevokedHostKeys option, as well as a -G option.

“Once again, we would like to thank the OpenSSH community for their continued support of the project, especially those who contributed code or patches, reported bugs, tested snapshots or donated to the project,” is stated in the official release announcement for the new OpenSSH 6.8 software.

Of course, this release contains a large internal re-factoring as numerous bugs have been squashed. You can read the entire list of changes brought by OpenSSH 6.8 in the official changelog. In the meantime, you can download OpenSSH 6.8 and Portable OpenSSH 6.8p1 right now from Softpedia.