In addition, while FTP requires the installation of FTP server software such as vsFTP or ProFTP, both SCP and SFTP utilize the SSH protocol and, as a result, will work “out-of-the-box” when connecting to a remote Unix-like machine, such as Mac OS X or Linux. When needing to upload or download files from your VPS in real time, you essentially have the following options:Īmong the various file-transfer options, one should never, ever, ever connect to a remote server via FTP SCP and SFTP are just as easy to use, but provide much more security. Thus, programs or subsystems that are based on the SSH protocol will work “out-of-the-box” without having to go through the additional steps of either purchasing or creating the requisite SSL certificate needed for certain modes of secure data transmissions via TLS/SSL.

Today, OpenSSH is a default software package found on Unix-like operating systems such as Mac OS X and Linux. In fact, they have several significant differences that are beyond the scope of this article.

However, while both protocols provide similar services, they are not the same. The encryption technologies used by both protocols are very reliable, and are (when configured correctly) nearly impossible for hackers to break into. Both are public-key cryptography tunneling protocols that aim to create a secure, confidential exchange of data and connection across a network (particularly the internet). The two most common methods of securely transmitting information between two computers are the (i) Secure Shell (SSH) and (ii) Transport Layer Security (TLS), and its predecessor Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), cryptographic protocols. Are you a recent cloud hosting convert and find yourself struggling to figure out how to best manage the files on your first virtual private server (VPS)? Do you find yourself intimidated by the command line? If so, you will be happy to learn that FileZilla provides a user-friendly graphical interface that can securely transfer files to-and-from, as well as move files around within, your VPS.

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