diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index da7e99a448..4d2d54f512 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -204,26 +204,27 @@ jobs:
       ############
       # Publish
       ##########
+      - name: Setup SSH Agent
+        uses: webfactory/ssh-agent@v0.9.0
+        with:
+          ssh-private-key: ${{ secrets.MAPSTORE_MAVEN_SSH_KEY }}
+      - name: Trust Maven Host
+        run: ssh-keyscan -H maven.geo-solutions.it >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
       - name: Set up Maven Central Repository
         uses: actions/setup-java@v3
         with:
           java-version: '11'
           distribution: 'temurin'
           server-id: geosolutions
-          server-username: MAVEN_USERNAME
-          server-password: MAVEN_PASSWORD
+          server-username: MAPSTORE_MAVEN_USERNAME
+
       - name: Publish maven packages
         # Here it deploys only java modules and root, needed for MS project builds.
         # Product, binary modules are to big to be hosted on the repository in snapshots, so they are skipped
         run: |
-          # Setup SSH keys for SFTP
-          mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
-          # add geo-solutions.it to known hosts to avoid prompts
-          ssh-keyscan -H maven.geo-solutions.it >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
           # deploys java packages
           mvn clean install deploy -f java/pom.xml
           # deploys also the root module, needed for dependencies
           mvn deploy --non-recursive
         env:
-          MAVEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.GS_MAVEN_USERNAME }}
-          MAVEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.GS_MAVEN_PASSWORD }}
+          MAPSTORE_MAVEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.MAPSTORE_MAVEN_USERNAME }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/services/pom.xml b/java/services/pom.xml
index 5eae8354eb..72419b2dd1 100644
--- a/java/services/pom.xml
+++ b/java/services/pom.xml
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
             <!--.............................................-->
             <extension>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.wagon</groupId>
-                <artifactId>wagon-ssh</artifactId>
+                <artifactId>wagon-ssh-external</artifactId>
                 <version>3.5.3</version>
             </extension>
         </extensions>
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@
    <distributionManagement>
         <repository>
             <id>geosolutions</id>
-            <url>sftp://maven.geo-solutions.it/</url>
+            <url>scpexe://maven.geo-solutions.it/</url>
         </repository>
     </distributionManagement>
     <profiles>
diff --git a/java/web/pom.xml b/java/web/pom.xml
index a8adc7748b..af03374534 100644
--- a/java/web/pom.xml
+++ b/java/web/pom.xml
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
             <!--.............................................-->
             <extension>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.wagon</groupId>
-                <artifactId>wagon-ssh</artifactId>
+                <artifactId>wagon-ssh-external</artifactId>
                 <version>3.5.3</version>
             </extension>
         </extensions>
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
    <distributionManagement>
         <repository>
             <id>geosolutions</id>
-            <url>sftp://maven.geo-solutions.it/</url>
+            <url>scpexe://maven.geo-solutions.it/</url>
         </repository>
     </distributionManagement>
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index af056d25c1..796d329a32 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@
    <distributionManagement>
         <repository>
             <id>geosolutions</id>
-            <url>sftp://maven.geo-solutions.it/</url>
+            <url>scpexe://maven.geo-solutions.it/</url>
         </repository>
     </distributionManagement>
 
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@
         <extensions>
             <extension>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.wagon</groupId>
-                <artifactId>wagon-ssh</artifactId>
+                <artifactId>wagon-ssh-external</artifactId>
                 <version>3.5.3</version>
             </extension>
         </extensions>