Using Robo-FTP With Secure FTP Sites

With regular FTP, there is no way to be absolutely sure whom you are “talking” to. Not only that but user names, passwords, and data are transmitted across the Internet “in the clear” or unencrypted.

When using a secure connection, on the other hand, the client and/or server are subject to authentication, and all traffic (including passwords) is encrypted to effectively eliminate eavesdropping, connection hijacking, and other network-level attacks.

This lack of security has been recognized as a serious impediment to the acceptance of FTP for the transmission of critical and private information. To address this concern, the regular FTP protocol has been expanded to encompass secure data transfer.

There are two commonly used methods, referred to as SFTP and FTPS, to provide secure, encrypted FTP file transfers. The actual security method is dictated by the FTP site so Robo-FTP supports both to be compatible with as many servers as possible.

When defining an FTP site in Robo-FTP, you are given the choice of server type. You must choose between regular FTP, SFTP, and the various options available for FTPS. Robo-FTP also provides tools for creating and managing certificates and keys used for authentication on FTPS connections.