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Natalie Tan
25,519 PointsIs FTP considered outdated and not secure?
How old is this video on FTP ?
I've come across readings mentioning the limitations of FTP (security, reliability).
What is replacing FTP?
3 Answers
James Anwyl
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 49,960 Points8 Years old according to 'Transfers' window in the video.
When you send data via FTP, it is sent unencrypted, in plain text. Meaning other people on your network may be able to see what you are sending. If you are sending sensitive information, you probably shouldn't use FTP.
SFTP is a newer, more secure version that uses encryption.
Hope this helps :)
Matthew Boswell
7,167 PointsIn small business they tend to still use ftp, it is very unlikely that someone is tapped into their network.
James Anwyl
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 49,960 PointsI would say its safer to assume that at some point someone will be tapped into your network, and plan accordingly.
Whether its safe to use FTP or not depends on the context and how sensitive the data you are sending is.
If you are connecting to an FTP server from an unsecured public wifi. e.g a coffee shop. Anyone else on that network can sniff the traffic and view your data in plain text. That data can include your login credentials.
However, if you use SFTP or a similar protocol, the data you send is encrypted. Meaning even if the attacker can see the data, they will have to decrypt it first to be able to read it.
Some sources