.ssh directory: 700 (drwx------) public key (.pub file): 644 (-rw-r--r--) private key (id_rsa): 600 (-rw-------) # Home directory lastly your home directory should not be writeable by the group or others (default 755 (drwxr-xr-x)). If you are looking for better security and privacy, you can change the default permissions to 750.