File Transfer Protocol

The File Transfer Protocol, or FTP is used to transfer computer files between two different locations over the Internet with the purpose of distribution. This protocol was developed by software developer Tim Berners-Lee in order to distribute computer files with the World Wide Web back in 1980 with the name CERN FTP. To accelerate this process, it ran on computers with Unix-based interfaces. For that reason, most people actually use FTP whenever they upload or download any type of data via web browsers on their computers. It is by far one of the oldest file transfer protocols conceived long before HTTP and HTTPS were invented, which created an atmosphere where it is no longer safe for transferring sensitive information over the internet. Nevertheless, it is still used for data transfer because earlier versions are not per se secure but they are fast. FTP is a protocol that was originally developed to transfer files between two different computers over the internet. The reason for its development was to speed up the process of downloading and uploading files. The file transfer protocol can be used to transfer files between a computer and a remote server, or between two different remote servers.

Fig 1: File Transfer Protocol

FTP is very simple to use and anyone can do it. You need to know how to navigate the FTP folder on your computer, and that's it. This protocol can be used with all types of file systems. It is, in fact, the oldest protocol used in this context. It is a text based protocol that is easy to understand and implement. FTP is also used for the transfer of data between two different computers and is implemented in every operating system. The File Transfer Protocol is often used to transfer files between two computers, but there are many different versions of it, one of which is the Secure FTP (SFTP). SFTP is the newer version of FTP and it is implemented in most operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows and Linux. In addition, SFTP uses the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, which is more secure and robust.

FTP Port Number

21

Is FTP Secure ?

FTP is a very old protocol that is considered safe to use. However, it has a weakness, which is the fact that it is text based and you have to have a computer with a UNIX-based operating system to use it. Because of this, the protocol is not considered secure. If you want to know if the FTP is secure, you can use the following two steps. First, you have to verify that the protocol you use to connect to the FTP server is secure. Second, you have to verify that the FTP server you are using has the latest version of the FTP software installed. If both these conditions are met, you can use the FTP server to transfer your data without any problems.

How FTP works ?

The file transfer protocol is based on the concept of connecting to a remote server and downloading or uploading files to the server. When you are connected to the server, you can access the data you want. It is like a file storage space that is linked to a computer that has a file transfer protocol software installed on it. The software can be run on a local computer or on a remote server.