1. Login to your EC2 instance using your .pem file

Code
ssh -i your_pem_file.pem ubuntu@ec2-________.compute-1.amazonaws.com

2. Create a new user that will access the instance using a password:

Shell
$ sudo useradd -s /bin/bash -m -d /home/USERNAME  -g root USERNAME

where:

  • -s /bin/bash : use /bin/bash as the standard shell
  • -m -d /home/USERNAME : create a home directory at /home/USERNAME
  • -g root : add to group root
  • USERNAME : the username of the new user

3. Create a strong password for the new user:

Shell
$ sudo passwd USERNAME
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:

4. Add user to sudoers file by using sudo visudo and add the following line:

Code
USERNAME  ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL

5. Enable password authentication by editing /etc/ssh/sshd_config: change PasswordAuthentication noto PasswordAuthentication yes 6. Restart ssh:

Shell
sudo /etc/init.d/ssh restart

Logout of your instance (exit) and try your new login without the .pem file:

Code
$ ssh USERNAME@ec2-________.compute-1.amazonaws.com
USERNAME@ec2-________.compute-1.amazonaws.com's password:

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