With the original FTP, both channels are unencrypted, leaving information vulnerable to interception, viewing, or manipulation.
FTPS (FTP SSL): Secures data transfer with TLS/SSL certificates, encrypting your files as they move between devices.SFTP (Secure FTP): Establishes a secure connection and sends files through the secure shell or SSH file transfer protocol instead of TCP/IP connections.That’s where SFTP, FTPS, and FTPES step in:
The original format, however, is not terribly secure. Simply put: FTP is the process through which users can transfer files between computers (or between a computer and a server) over an internet connection.Īs the backbone of sharing digital information, FTP is a key way to upload and download files to and from your website’s server: Think templates, images, PDFs, and other code or documents.Īlthough FTP is closely integrated with web hosting, many other industries and users leverage the technology for file hosting, sharing, organizing, and storing.įTP is particularly helpful for reliably moving several files at once and transmitting large amounts of data.īecause of its longevity, FTP is a widely known and very popular file transfer mechanism. The technology traces its roots back to the early 1970s and its original developer, Abhay Bhushan - who also worked on early email protocols. Let’s walk through some tips that will help you integrate FTP into your hosting adventures like a pro.įTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. Use your favorite FTP program to manage your file organization, archiving, and data storage needs. You can typically find FTP (or SFTP, FTPS, FTPES, TFTP… you get the picture) baked into your hosting service for free. An FTP server can improve business communications, collaboration, and your website ownership experience. The foundational technology has been evolving for around 50 years, so it’s quite simple at its core - but also comes with various layers of complexity. Given the alphabet soup of FTP acronyms and variations, finding the best FTP hosting can be fraught with questions.