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What is the purpose of passphrase when I generate public and private keys using ssh-keygen?

I'm fairly new to all the SSH business. I have some basic idea about that using SSH public and private keys allows me to be identified and authorized by remote SSH server without having to have a password transferred over the Internet. But when I generate the keys, it also offers to type in optionally a passphrase. What is this passphrase for? What is the pros and cons to use it?

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To encrypt your keys. So if an attacker get's your private/public key, it can't do anything with them.

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    To amplify: Imagine you have the private-key pair on a laptop. You lose the laptop. A thief gets access to your private key and can impersonate you and access all the computers you have access to. A passphrase helps to prevent this.
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Jan 15, 2012 at 9:42
  • If I store the private key file on a USB drive which is shared with some friends sometimes, do I need to further protect the file or is the passphrase sufficient?
    – qazwsx
    Jan 17, 2012 at 1:11
  • depends on the passphrase...and the friends... :)
    – rogerdpack
    Feb 16, 2022 at 3:36

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