Hey everyone, I recently lost my private EC2 key (.pem file) and I'm unsure about my access options. I know SSH access requires this key, so losing it can be a big deal. However, after deleting the key pair from the AWS console, I found that I could still connect to my instance through EC2 Instance Connect and Session Manager. I want to know if deleting the key pair affects existing instances or if it's mainly just for new ones. Any best practices or advice would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
If you have the SSM agent running on your instance, that makes things a lot easier! You can connect using SSM without needing to worry about SSH keys at all; it’s a great alternative. I’ve moved away from using SSH keys myself.
Just to clarify, the key pair deletion is for new instances only. It doesn’t disrupt anything on instances that already have the key. Using temporary keys through Instance Connect or Session Manager is quite a handy workaround!
You’re good! Deleting the key pair doesn’t affect your existing instances. It mainly concerns new instances. If you set up Systems Manager, you can connect without needing SSH. Since you still have access via those methods, you’re in a good spot!
You're correct, deleting the key pair won't affect your current instance. Another option is to spin up a new EC2 instance, attach the root volume of the old one, and add a new key that way if needed. But I agree, it's better to stick with SSM for security and ease!
Exactly! SSM helps bypass most SSH key issues and keeps things secure. Plus, having your instances not exposed to the public is a smart move.
That's right! Just a heads up, you can also create an AMI from your running instance and launch a new one with a new key pair if you need to.