SecureCRT is a commercial SSH

Secure Shell

Secure Shell is a network protocol for secure data communication, remote shell services or command execution and other secure network services between two networked computers that it connects via a secure channel over an insecure network: a server and a client...

 and Telnet

TELNET

Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...

 client and terminal emulator

Terminal emulator

A terminal emulator, terminal application, term, or tty for short, is a program that emulates a video terminal within some other display architecture....

 by VanDyke Software. Originally a Windows product, VanDyke has recently added a Mac OS X version and Linux version .

History

SecureCRT started out life as CRT, a telnet client and terminal emulator released in 1995. Originally released as a premium version of CRT with support for SSH encryption, SecureCRT later replaced the CRT product entirely.

Features

• Graphical user interface
  Gui
  Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
  
   with tab support and configurable sessions
• Extensive protocol support (SSH1, SSH2, Telnet, Telnet over SSL, Rlogin, Serial, TAPI
  Telephony Application Programming Interface
  The Telephony Application Programming Interface is a Microsoft Windows API, which provides computer telephony integration and enables PCs running Microsoft Windows to use telephone services. Different versions of TAPI are available on different versions of Windows...
  
  )
• Support for a large number of cipher
  Cipher
  In cryptography, a cipher is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption — a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is encipherment. In non-technical usage, a “cipher” is the same thing as a “code”; however, the concepts...
  
  s: AES-128, AES-192, AES-256, AES-128-CTR, AES-192-CTR, AES-256-CTR, Twofish, Blowfish, 3DES, and RC4
• Advanced SSH features including public key
  Public-key cryptography
  Public-key cryptography refers to a cryptographic system requiring two separate keys, one to lock or encrypt the plaintext, and one to unlock or decrypt the cyphertext. Neither key will do both functions. One of these keys is published or public and the other is kept private...
  
   assistant, X.509, smart card and GSSAPI support, X11 forwarding, tunneling of other protocols,
• Advanced terminal emulation capabilities (VT100, VT102, VT220, ANSI, SCO ANSI, Wyse 50/60, Xterm, and Linux terminals) with full Unicode
  Unicode
  Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
  
   support
• 128,000-line scrollback and unlimited logging capabilities
• Scripting support using VBScript and Python
• File transfers available via SecureFX integration
• FIPS compliance

VanDyke Software has further information on their web site.

Compatibility

SecureCRT runs on Windows 2000

Windows 2000

Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...

, Windows XP

Windows XP

Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...

, Windows Vista

Windows Vista

Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...

 and Windows 7. It also runs on the Windows Server

Windows Server

Windows Server is a brand name for a group of server operating systems released by Microsoft Corporation. All are part of Microsoft Servers.- Members :This brand includes the following software:* Windows 2000 Server* Windows Server 2003...

 series of operating systems. For Windows Vista and later, a 64-bit

64-bit

64-bit is a word size that defines certain classes of computer architecture, buses, memory and CPUs, and by extension the software that runs on them. 64-bit CPUs have existed in supercomputers since the 1970s and in RISC-based workstations and servers since the early 1990s...

 version is available for download.

VanDyke Software recently announced a version of SecureCRT for Mac OS X

Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...

.

In February of 2011, VanDyke released a beta version of SecureCRT for Linux along with their 6.7 beta. In May of the same year, the Linux release was finalized.

Popularity

SecureCRT is a popular choice among system and network administrators
, but it has been criticized for being too expensive. This is in part due to its main competitor on the Windows platform, PuTTY

PuTTY

PuTTY is a free and open source terminal emulator application which can act as a client for the SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw TCP computing protocols and as a serial console client...

, being freeware

Freeware

Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...

. While a free trial of SecureCRT is available, registration is required and the trial version will stop working after 30 days.

Export restrictions

SecureCRT is developed in New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, and is therefore subject to United States export restrictions.

External links

• SecureCRT product page at VanDyke Software