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9 January 2023

Pros and cons of SFTP

Larger files may be safely sent over the internet using the secure file transfer protocol(SFTP), a file protocol incorporating secure shell(SSH) security components. It is a more sophisticated FTP(file transfer protocol) that makes use of SSH encryption. Here is a discussion about the pros and cons of SFTP to understand more about this topic.

Learn more about the Features of SFTP

Pro of SFTP | Advantages of SFTP:

  • Offer secure connection.
  • Uniform directory listing.
  • Since SFTP only requires one port, using it behind the firewall is simple.
  • SFTP encrypts data during the file transfer process.
  • File transfers with SFTP only utilize one channel, lowering the possibility of hostile actors gaining access to sensitive information
  • Require no data or hardware connection.
  • Offers on-demand access to files from any location.
  • Stores all business files in a single location.
  • SFTP covers hardware, software, maintenance, and support cost. So it reduces business costs.
  • Convenient file management.
  • Offer on-demand access to files from any location.
  • Maintains compliance.
  • Off-site disaster recovery and secure backups.
  • SFTP servers can easily scale capacity with the growth in business.
  • Authorized users with the right permission can conveniently upload and download files.
  • Allow the use of SSH keys or username and password authentication methods to maintain data security.
  • Backed by a 24/7 team of professionals for monitoring and security.
  • Easy to implement
  • Interaction can be understood by humans.
  • Well known and widely used.
  • Provides service for server-to-server file transfer.
  • SSL/TLS has excellent authentication mechanisms.

Cons of SFTP | Disadvantages of SFTP:

  • No uniform directory listing format.
  • Hard to use behind firewalls.
  • Not all FTP server supports SSL/TLS.
  • Validation and management of SSH keys is not easy.
  • does not provide a character set requirement for filenames.
  • The protocol uses binary transmission, hence it cannot be recorded exactly for human reading.
  • NFT and VCL do not support SSH/SFTP.
  • In addition to a server-to-server copy, the protocol does not provide removal actions for the recursive directory. There are many SFTP setup standards, which might cause problems when using software from various suppliers together.
  • Some training is also required on how SSH keys work.
  • SSH keys take work for administrators to set up for employees.
Thank you for reading this article. Still, if you have any questions or queries in your mind on the Pros and cons of SFTP then please ask us in the comment section below. 

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