SFTP vs File TP over SSH –Which is more secure?
FTP is known to have security issues, which is its biggest disadvantage. Would it be safer to run FTP over SSH or to use a version of FTP known as SFTP?
To understand the difference between these two protocols, it would be important to first define all the terms:
- FTP – This is the original File Transfer Protocol which uses port 20 and 21 to establish two connections; a data transfer connection and an information control connection. It then uses TCP to transfer data files over these two connections.
- SSH – Secure Shell is a network protocol that is referred to as cryptographic and is used to encrypt data. This allows network services to operate securely over an insecure network.
- FTP over SSH – This is an extremely rare form of FTP protocol that is run by tunnelling the connection through a SSH channel.
- SFTP – This is a file transfer protocol that runs over SSH on port 22. However, is not directly linked or connected to FTP.
Table of Contents
Why would they be compared?
The main reason why the two would be compared is because they both use SSH to encrypt the data that is being transferred. Despite this, the two are not the same, although they are commonly referred to as such because of their similar functionalities.
They are equally secure, since they use the same security protocols, but may differ in functionality. These differences would be the same as a comparison between SFTP and the plain FTP, save for the security factor.
Conclusion
FTP over SSH is not the same as SFTP. It is using the basic FTP protocol and manually running it through a secure shell network in order to give an additional layer of safety for the data being transferred. It is difficult to do, making it wiser for a user to simply opt for SFTP.
FAQs
Is SSH faster than FTP?
No. FTP is undoubtedly faster than SSH. However, when using the public internet, it is still better to use SSH because of the added layer of security that it offers.
