<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation:  Robo-FTP User's Guide > Appendix > Security > Connecting to Secure Sites > FTPS – Secure FTP Using TLS

 

With regular FTP, there is no way to be absolutely sure whom you are “talking” to. User names, passwords, and data are all transmitted across the Internet “in the clear” or unencrypted. FTPS is basically standard FTP protected by a Secure Sockets Layer connection. User names and passwords are never sent across the network unencrypted during an FTPS connection. Depending on the FTPS configuration you choose, Robo-FTP can optionally encrypt the FTP commands, the files transferred, or both the commands and the files.

 

Robo-FTP supports FTPS over both unilateral and bilateral TLS connections. Robo-FTP also supports both explicit (active) and implicit (passive) FTPS connections. With explicit security, Robo-FTP sends an "AUTH TLS" or "AUTH SSL" command to the server initiate the negotiation of TLS security, usually on the standard FTP port 21. In the case of implicit security, Robo-FTP attempts to establish a secure connection as soon as it connects to an FTP site. Implicit FTPS connections use port 990 by default. The owner of an FTP site will be able to tell you which type of FTPS connection their site requires.

 

Note: FTPS is sometimes referred to as FTP/S or as the FTP-SSL protocol. Robo-FTP also supports a completely different secure file transfer method based on SSH known as Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

 

 

Related command(s): FTPLOGON