So you wanna know what FTP is and how it is different from SFTP. Let's talk about that.
First, let's define FTP. File Transfer
Protocol FTP is the standard way to transfer files from your computer to
another computer through a client-server connection, for example, the internet.
While it sounds simple enough, the drawback is that transferring files with an FTP protocol
is not encrypted, meaning security is not guaranteed. This is where SFTP comes into play.
The main difference between FTP and SFTP is the “S” for Secure.
SFTP is an extension of SSH - Secure Socket shell,
which we talked about in our previous video. Go check it out too. It adds a
layer of encryption to your files so they are secured on the intermediate stages of transfer.
With FTP, when you send and receive files, they are not encrypted. You
may be using a secure connection, but the files themselves are not encrypted.
SFTP is encrypted and doesn’t transfer any data in cleartext.
This encryption is the additional layer of security that you don’t get with FTP.
What can you do with these transfer protocols?
With both FTP and SFTP you can browse all files on your server, upload files from
your local computer to your server, and download files from your server to your local computer.
For an added level of security, access is only made available through permissions. FTP
providers give two layers of folder access permissions, called “read” and “write”.
“Read” only allows files to be downloaded, and write allows files to be uploaded and deleted.
When it comes to vulnerabilities FTP is the anti-champio n here.
For one, Intercepting unprotected data is simple with FTP. All it takes is
the right tools and a little bit of knowledge to take advantage of these
vulnerabilities. Even the most amateur hackers can intercept an FTP transfer.
This is a perfect breeding ground for attacks like Directory Traversals,
when hackers overwrite or create unauthorized files and store them
outside of the web root folder to control the victim’s directory permissions.
Or Cross-Site Scripting, when attackers target web application’s unprotected user input areas.
This way they gain access to users’ cookies, session tokens, and other sensitive information.
Then, lack of Host keys can be another problem. Unlike SFTP which uses host keys to verify a
recipient's identity before a transfer takes place, FTP doesn’t. All it takes
is one accidental transfer to the wrong recipient for a file to be compromised.
And how do you connect through SFTP? You can use the same FTP client application
to make your SFTP connections. To make a connection via SFTP, change the appropriate
connection setting in your client software. Most FTP client software also supports SFTP.
You can start with FileZilla or Cyberduck. These are just
two of the many desktop FTP clients out there.
FileZilla is a great widely used client. It offers basic functions to advanced features
that help you manage your files and transfer speeds. And of course, it supports SFTP.
When it comes to using FTP client software there can be variations depending on who
your FTP provider is, but the steps should be pretty basic. Log into your account,
enter your server name, enter your username, enter your password.
Then click the connection button to connect to the FTP server.
Now what's the difference between using FTP, File manager, and uploading from WordPress?
While FTP and File Manager can lead to the same goals, they are not the same tools.
In the case of FTP, it is the process of transferring files between computers. In
order to use it, you would need to download and install an external client application.
Now, File Manager is a tool that comes with your web hosting control panel interface
and is accessible only as long as you are connected to your hosting account.
When you use the admin area of WordPress, you may also be able to upload files, meaning you
can transfer files to your site without FTP. However, if there is an issue with your
WordPress site, you can still use FTP to upload files, plugins, or themes manually,
as you fix the WordPress issues. On the other hand, if there is an
error in WordPress proper, you can’t use its file manager plugins or WP uploader.
File Manager and WordPress uploads can still use FTP “under the hood”,
so to speak. In this case you'd need to add a web interface.
SFTP is the standard for secure data transfer nowadays. It’s widely used
across all industries and enterprises, as well as by just regular users who care about data
encryption. So the answer is - always! While you should always be cautious
about uploading sensitive data like passwords, payrolls, credit card info,
and users’ personal information to a server, it should always be transferred using SFTP.
And make sure the right permissions are set where you upload files to. Even with
regular data and a trustworthy server, taking precautions for security is always worth it.
By the way, if you feel like learning and managing all this technical stuff is too
much of a hustle you can just use 10Web's AI-powered WordPress platform where you
automatically get a secure client - server connection? 10Web uses Secure Socket Shell
transfer protocol along with the standard FTP for maximum security of your sensitive data.
Go visit 10Web’s website to learn more.
So, in a word FTP is the Standard file transfer protocol, and SFTP is its advanced and more secure
counterpart. Which one to use, is ultimately your decision, but now… you know better.
That’s it for FTP and SFTP, you people. Hope it was useful. If you have any questions,
let’s talk in the comment section. See ya later!