Ftps Vs Sftp

If you work an industry that requires a whole lot of file transferring (basically any industry), then you've probably struggled to find a way to share files securely but also one that's not too complex.

1. Ftps Vs Sftp Ports
2. Sftp Command Line Examples
3. Sftp Vs Ftps Stack Overflow

The key difference between FTP vs SFTP is that SFTP uses a secure channel to transfer files while FTP doesn't. With SFTP, your connection is always secured and the data that moves between your FTP client and your web server is encrypted.

• FTP and SFTP both transfers the file from one computer to another but the basic difference between FTP and SFTP is that FTP does not provide a secure channel to transfer files whereas, the SFTP does. Let us discuss some more differences between FTP and SFTP with the help of comparison chart shown below. Content: FTP Vs SFTP. Comparison Chart.
• For authentication, FTPS (or, to be more precise, SSL/TLS protocol under FTP) uses X.509 certificates, whereas SFTP (SSH protocol) uses SSH keys. X.509 certificates include the public key and certain information about the certificate owner.
• Dec 01, 2016 SFTP vs. FTPS: The Key Differences Posted on December 1, 2016 FTP, SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, AS2 the many options for transferring files can make it confusing to answer the question that matters—what is the best way to secure your company's data during transfer?

FTP, the file transfer protocol that's been around longer than the internet, is one of the most popular ways to transfer files, but also one of the least secure. According to Deccanhosts, FTP is insecure because it sends your credentials in plain text. And not just the credentials, but 'all the files that you exchange with the server (upload or download) are transferred in plain text without any encryption.'

Sending sensitive information over FTP is a pretty large risk since neither the command channel nor the data channel is encrypted. That is why many turn to the secure channels of SFTP (SSH file transfer protocol) and FTPS (file transfer protocol SSL) to transfer files. Both SFTP and FTPS offer a secure file transfer solution, but what is the difference between them? Is one more secure than the other? SFTP vs. FTPS: which one should I choose?

In this article, you'll get a final recommendation from end-point security and IT experts on the battle between SFTP vs FTPS and I'll also illustrate key differences and similarities between the technologies.

'We're Not So Different, You and I,' said SFTP to FTPS

Let's start off with the similarities between these two file transfer methods. Jaco Toledo, Director of IT at WireSeek, notes that 'SFTP and FTPS are both protocols used to connect to a server through an encrypted connection and transfer files, the main difference is the type of encryption that they use and the process of authentication.'

They both use public keys over encrypted tunnels for authentication and are very reliable encryption methods that make it difficult for hackers to break into, but that is where Toledo says the similarities end.

'Actually, We're Very Different,' said FTPS to SFTP

'The primary difference between the SFTP and FTPS protocols is the underlying transport mechanism. SFTP is an extension to the SSH protocol, whereas FTPS adds a layer around the legacy FTP protocol. Both protocols exist to transfer files between systems, but the transport protocols are completely unrelated,' says Phil Hagen, SANS Certified Instructor and Course Author, who also works as an Evangelist at Red Canary.

To break down those underlying transport mechanisms, we have to understand what the 'S' in both SFTP and FTPS means.

SFTP: The 'S' Means SSH or Secure Shell

SSH, or Secure Shell, is a cryptographic network protocol. This protocol allows remote machines to verify each other and then connect. Once this connection is verified, the machines can communicate and run commands. This connection can also be used to transfer files, aka SFTP.

Hagen clarifies, 'SSH was originally designed to provide secure, remote command-line-based server management functions. Administrators historically used telnet for this purpose, but that protocol is plaintext, offering no protection whatsoever. On the other hand, SSH is fundamentally encrypted, protecting the data transferred from inspection by any third party intermediary.'

RELATED: The Advantages and Disadvantages of FTP Clients
Should you force your users to use a clunky FTP client or can a web-based FTP tool safe enough? Read more…

'SSH can also provide a number of additional functions – including SFTP. This ‘bolt-on' function uses the same underlying protocol but for transferring files rather than command-line keystrokes. SFTP, by virtue of the underlying SSH protocol, uses a single connection between the client and the server for all actions: authentication, commands, file transfers, etc.,' said Hagen, 'SFTP is an extension to the SSH protocol, whereas FTPS adds a layer around the legacy FTP protocol.'

SFTP Pros

• Has a great requirements background which strictly specifies most (if not all) elements of operations
• Has only one connection (no requirement for a DATA connection)
• The connection is constantly protected
• The directory site listing is consistent and machine-readable
• The method consists of operations for consent and quality adjustment, file locking, and more capability
• SFTP is supported by Linux and UNIX servers by default
• More options than any other system
• Can perform file system operations, such as file lock, permission and attribute manipulation, and symbolic link creation
• Single data connection makes it easy to use behind a firewall

SFTP Cons

• The interaction is binary and cannot be logged as is for human reading
• SSH secrets are more difficult to handle and verify
• The requirements specify specific things as optional or suggested, which causes specific compatibility issues in between various software application titles from various suppliers
• No server-to-server copy and recursive directory site elimination operations.
• No integrated SSH/SFTP assistance in VCL and .NET structures
• No server-to-server copy
• No recursive directory removal
• Harder to configure properly
• No built-in support in .NET framework

FTPS: The 'S' Means SSL or Secure Sockets Layer

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a cryptographic protocol. (Now it's known as Transport Layer Security (TLS), but that screws up our acronym, so just know that the terms are typically interchangeable, even though TLS is what is used today.)

Where SSH is mostly used for remote access, SSL/TLS is a way for two entities (i.e., a server and a client) to connect and communicate securely. This protocol is more popular since much of everything we do on the Internet (surfing, email, watching cat videos, social media, VoIP) use the SSL/TLS protocol to protect communication.

When it comes to transferring files, using FTP over SSL lets you encrypt your communications, but you'll need to decide between implicit SSL and explicit SSL. Chris Sheaves, VP of Products at SmartFile, defines the differences:

FTPS (Implicit) – TCP port 990(command) + passive ports (data)

FTPS(I) was one of the first attempts to encrypt FTP communication. It let the client connect securely to the server and no negotiation was allowed. All other major operations of FTP stayed the same. This has been deprecated in favor of FTPS (Explicit).

FTPS (Explicit) – TCP port 21(command) + passive ports (data)

This was added to FTP to help negotiate encryption for the FTP communication. FTPS(E) functions the same as FTP except it negotiates an SSL or TLS connection when the client asks for it, prior to authentication.

FTPS Pros

• Commonly understood and utilized
• Easy to implement
• The interaction can be checked out and comprehended by a human
• Offers services for server-to-server file transfer
• SSL/TLS has excellent authentication systems (X. 509 certification functions)
• FTP and SSL/TLS assistance is constructed into numerous web interactions structures
• Communications can be read by humans, making it easier to troubleshoot a connection attempt
• Easily supported by mobile devices
• Works in operating systems that have FTP support but not SSH/SFTP clients
• Built-in support in .NET Framework

FTPS Cons

• Does not have a consistent directory site listing format
• Needs a secondary DATA channel, makings it hard to use behind firewall programs
• Does not specify a requirement for filename character sets (encodings)
• Not all FTP servers support SSL/TLS
• Does not have a conventional method to obtain and alter file or directory site characteristics
• Can't perform file system operations
• Uses multiple ports, making firewall configuration more complicated.
  Older FTP servers don't support SSL

SFTP vs. FTPS? Who wins?

So, which secure file transfer method should you use?

According to Hagen, one is not technically 'more secure' than another, 'The encryption mechanisms are different, but when properly implemented, they can both sufficiently protect the authentication, commands, and data transferred. I personally feel that SFTP provides an easier path for ‘right-out-of-the-box' protection, but a competent administrator can deploy either to a similar standard of security.'

Ftps Vs Sftp Ports

Toledo also favors SFTP, 'In general, SFTP is a superior protocol to FTPS. By default, unless you are a software developer and need to implement file transfer capability in your application, best practices would be to implement support for both protocols to increase compatibility.'

In the battle of SFTP vs. FTPS, I declare SFTP the winner. Have a different opinion? Leave it in the comments below.

Both Jaco Toledo and Rob Boirun, CEO of Ipinator and StreamJack, contributed to the pros and cons list.

SFTP vs. FTPS: Why Not Both?

Some secure FTP hosting providers make you decide between SFTP and FTPS. SmartFile can handle FTP, SFTP, FTPS and FTPES connections, among others. Give it a try for free today — no credit card required!

There are several different secure file transfer protocols that are, unfortunately, named in a very confusing way that often makes it difficult to distinguish one from another. The aim of this page is to provide some guidelines to make it easier to determine which is which.

Communication protocols

Basically, the following file transfer protocols are around:

FTP – the plain old FTP protocol that has been around since 1980. The acronym stands for File Transfer Protocol. It's main connection usually runs over TCP port 21. However, each data connections requires a separate TCP connection on different ports, which makes FTP very firewall-unfriendly.

SFTP – another, completely different file transfer protocol that has nothing to do with FTP. SFTP almost always runs over an SSH session, usually on TCP port 22. It has been around since late 1990s. The SFTP acronym actually stands for SSH File Transfer Protocol and is not used in the protocol specification.

SCP – a variant of BSD rcp utility that transfers files over an SSH session. The SCP protocol has been mostly superseded by the more comprehensive SFTP protocol and some implementations of the scp utility actually use SFTP instead.

Secure communication layers

Additionally, there are several communication layers:

SSH – a protocol that allows establishing a secure channel between the local and remote computers. Serves as an underlying channel for associated protocols such as secure shell, port forwarding, SFTP or SCP. While it is possible to run the (slightly modified) plain old FTP protocol over SSH, this is not very common. File transfer over SSH is nearly always done using SFTP or SCP.

TLS – this protocol is almost generally known by its old name - SSL - and provides a way of securing otherwise unsecure protocols such as HTTP, SMTP, POP3 or FTP. Please note that SSL 3.1 is called TLS 1.0, and therefore TLS 1.0 is a newer version of the protocol than SSL 3.0, despite the lower version number. HTTP over SSL is often called HTTPS, and FTP over SSL is often called FTPS.
FTP over TLS/SSL has two variants, explicit (starts as an unencrypted FTP session and is secured on client request) and implicit (is secured right from the beginning and therefore needs a separate TCP port, usually 990). The implicit mode is deprecated, but still widely used.

Secure file transfer protocols, or fitting it all together

In an ideal world, the information above should be just enough. Unfortunately, this is not the case. File transfer protocols are also referred to by various other names, and even the names that only refer to a one single protocol are often mistakenly used for the wrong protocol by (understandably) confused authors.

There are several different secure file transfer protocols that are, unfortunately, named in a very confusing way that often makes it difficult to distinguish one from another. The aim of this page is to provide some guidelines to make it easier to determine which is which.

Communication protocols

Basically, the following file transfer protocols are around:

FTP – the plain old FTP protocol that has been around since 1980. The acronym stands for File Transfer Protocol. It's main connection usually runs over TCP port 21. However, each data connections requires a separate TCP connection on different ports, which makes FTP very firewall-unfriendly.

SFTP – another, completely different file transfer protocol that has nothing to do with FTP. SFTP almost always runs over an SSH session, usually on TCP port 22. It has been around since late 1990s. The SFTP acronym actually stands for SSH File Transfer Protocol and is not used in the protocol specification.

SCP – a variant of BSD rcp utility that transfers files over an SSH session. The SCP protocol has been mostly superseded by the more comprehensive SFTP protocol and some implementations of the scp utility actually use SFTP instead.

Secure communication layers

Additionally, there are several communication layers:

SSH – a protocol that allows establishing a secure channel between the local and remote computers. Serves as an underlying channel for associated protocols such as secure shell, port forwarding, SFTP or SCP. While it is possible to run the (slightly modified) plain old FTP protocol over SSH, this is not very common. File transfer over SSH is nearly always done using SFTP or SCP.

TLS – this protocol is almost generally known by its old name - SSL - and provides a way of securing otherwise unsecure protocols such as HTTP, SMTP, POP3 or FTP. Please note that SSL 3.1 is called TLS 1.0, and therefore TLS 1.0 is a newer version of the protocol than SSL 3.0, despite the lower version number. HTTP over SSL is often called HTTPS, and FTP over SSL is often called FTPS.
FTP over TLS/SSL has two variants, explicit (starts as an unencrypted FTP session and is secured on client request) and implicit (is secured right from the beginning and therefore needs a separate TCP port, usually 990). The implicit mode is deprecated, but still widely used.

Secure file transfer protocols, or fitting it all together

In an ideal world, the information above should be just enough. Unfortunately, this is not the case. File transfer protocols are also referred to by various other names, and even the names that only refer to a one single protocol are often mistakenly used for the wrong protocol by (understandably) confused authors.

FTP – usually refers to the plain old FTP protocol. However, since TLS/SSL support is quickly becoming a must-have feature, it might refer to its secure version as well.

SFTP – should only be used for SFTP, the SSH file transfer protocol. Unfortunately, people often shorten Secure FTP into SFTP - this is incorrect, because the S in SFTP stands for SSH, not for Secure.

SFTP2 – this confusing name is used by some vendors to highlight the obvious fact that their SFTP protocol runs over SSH2. For all practical purposes, consider this to be a synonym of SFTP, because SSH1 has been deprecated for many years.

Sftp Command Line Examples

Secure FTP – this name is confusing as well, because it is used to refer to either of the two different protocols. Whenever this name is used, it is necessary to specify whether the SSH-based or SSL-based file transfer protocol is meant.

SSH FTP, FTP over SSH – fortunately, these names are not used very often. They usually refer to SFTP, the SSH file transfer protocol. Even though it is possible to run (slightly modified) plain old FTP protocol over SSH, this is not very common.

FTP/SSL, FTP/TLS, FTP over SSL, FTP over TLS, FTPS – all of these names refer to FTP over TLS/SSL.

SFTP over SSL – although the SFTP protocol can utilize any underlying data stream, in practice SFTP over anything other that SSH is rare. It is much more likely the term was used by mistake instead of either SFTP over SSH or FTP over SSL.

SCP – should be only used for scp protocol/utility, a variant of BSD rcp. Swinsian 2 0 3 – music manager and player combination. Some applications with SCP in its name now use SFTP by default instead - examples of this practice are WinSCP application and scp2 utility.

Sftp Vs Ftps Stack Overflow

TFTP is yet another file transfer protocol not related to any of the above.