There are some hosting companies that do not offer an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) environment for MySQL. It is important to have an SSL environment for MySQL, because your sessions are protected with “encryption.” Fortunately, if you can't get SSL with your hosting company, there is an alternative: SSH.
The Secure Socket Layer security feature protects sensitive information (such as credit card information, passwords, SS numbers, etc.) from falling into the hands of an unauthorized third party that might be sniffing the packets as it travels the Internet.
Below are some standards that most MySQL servers using phpMyAdmin should offer to their hosting customers:
1. An SSL-protected phpMyAdmin login page. Not all hosting companies can offer this. If you are entering your MySQL username and passwords into a non-SSL supported phpMyAdmin page, then this sensitive information will travel through the Internet in "clear text format." If someone sniffs your traffic/packets, your MySQL login information could be compromised.
Make sure that you see https:// in the address bar of your browser when you are about to log into your MySQL database using phpMyAdmin.
2. SSL protected sessions. Once you are logged in to your MySQL database, you can then start working on it to create database tables, entering database records. It is also important that these sessions be encrypted, because you might be dealing with sensitive information.
What if your web hosting company fails to deliver SSL protected MySQL sessions and log-in? This is where you can use SSH in MySQL. This tutorial will teach you how you can work with your MySQL database in an SSH environment.
SSH (Secure Shell) - Alternative to SSL
SSH is an encrypted protocol much like SSL. This is one of the standard ways of connecting and encrypting communications to a remote server. The remote server can be your FTP hosting server or MySQL server.
However, SSH is commonly used by webmasters to connect and transfer files between your FTP server "encrypted." One rare application is to use SSH when connecting and engaging in sessions with your MySQL server.
This means that you can engage in a variety of tasks in a SSH environment that offers encryption. These include:
