Secure Shell, better known as SSH, is a cryptographic network protocol used to execute commands on a remote hosting server or to exchange data between a web server and a client. Given that the information exchanged by the two sides is protected, a third party cannot intercept it, which makes SSH a preferred means of handling an Internet hosting account. The commands which could be executed depend on the type of hosting service. On a shared server, in particular, the options are limited as you simply won't have root access to the server, so you may simply create/move/delete files, set up and unpack archives, import and export databases, etc. These are all actions that are carried out in the shared hosting account and do not require a higher level of access. Using a virtual or a dedicated server, you'll have the option to install server-side software or to restart the machine or just a specific service (web server, database server, etc.). SSH commands are submitted via a command line, and if you do not use a UNIX-like OS, there are a variety of applications for other OSs, that you can employ to connect to the remote server as well.