FTP-SSL (FTP Over Explicit TLS/SSL)
Transferring files can be made secure with the use of FTP over explicit TLS/SSL. FTP-SSL can be best described as standard FTP with encryption.
When you establish an encrypted connection, the message is scrambled. Thus, were you to peer in on the connection (a process called packet sniffing), you wouldn't be able understand what is being transferred. However, were you to use standard FTP with an un-encrypted connection, you would easily be able to peer in on the connection (including the password) with the right software and a little know-how.
FTP over explicit SSL has many different acronyms:
- FTPES (used primarily by FileZilla).
- FTP-SSL
- FTP-TLS
- FTPS
If you are having trouble sleeping at night, and would like some very geeky reading material about FTP-SSL:
Connecting to Your ExaVault Account with FTP-SSL
Using FTP to connect to your ExaVault FTP or Open Remote Backup account is a snap. Here's what you'll need:
- Your FTP server name (e.g.:
bobsmith.exavault.com) - Your username (e.g.:
bobsmith) - Your password
- A FTP client that supports FTP-SSL, such as one of those recommended below.
Recommended Desktop FTP Clients with FTP-SSL Support
The following is a list of popular desktop software that supports FTP-SSL.
NOTE: ExaVault will support any desktop FTP client.
| Client | Supported Operating Systems | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✪ | FileZilla | MS Windows Mac OS X Linux / Unix | ExaVault Tutorial Pages for FileZilla FileZilla Project Website |
| ✪ | CyberDuck | Mac OS X | ExaVault Tutorial Pages for Cyberduck CyberDuck Website |
| WS_FTP | MS Windows | ExaVault Tutorial Pages for WS_FTP WS_FTP Website |
|
| Smart FTP | MS Windows | ExaVault Tutorial Pages for Smart FTP Smart FTP Website |
|
| Core FTP | MS Windows | ExaVault Tutorial Pages for Core FTP Core FTP Website |
✪ Recommended by ExaVault
FTP-SSL FAQ
After signing up for an FTP account, many people have questions about their service. He are some answers to some of the more commonly asked questions about FTP-SSL. If you have more general questions about file transfers, then you might want to visit our FAQ pages.
Is FTP-SSL Slower Than Standard FTP?
FTP-SSL will be slightly slower than standard FTP because bandwidth must be allocated for the encrypted connection. However, with an ExaVault account, the difference shouldn't be significant enough to be noticeable, let alone to worry about.
In the US and Canada, ExaVault users can expect to see download speeds in excess of 200Kb/second. For more information, visit our FTP account overview page.
Is FTP-SSL Faster Than Secure FTP?
FTP-SSL should transfer files at about the same speed as Secure FTP.
Who Issued The SSL Certificate For ExaVault.com? Is It Also Valid For My Account?
ExaVault's SSL certificate was issued by Equifax Secure Global eBusiness. It is valid for all exavault.com sites and accounts (including yours!).
What are TLS and SSL?
- SSL: Secure Sockets Layer
- TLS: Transport Layer Security
Essentially, when people talk about SSL and TLS, they are talking about the same thing: A public certificate issued by a certificate authority that enables your FTP client to ask for an encrypted connection to transfer files.
- SSL is the first generation of encryption that were available for internet browsing.
- TLS is an improved successor to SSL.
So why are both listed, and why are does this page use “SSL” instead of “TLS?”
- Old acronyms die hard.
- Some programs will only support older SSL protocols (although that is becoming more and more rare).
- Most modern day browsers and FTP clients will support either SSL or TLS.
To be semantically correct, ExaVault supports both FTP-SSL and FTP-TLS connections.
It should be mentioned that in reality there are lots of very technical differences between SSL and TLS. If you would like to know the truly gory details about TLS/SSL:
What is the Difference Between Implicit and Explicit SSL?
The difference between explicit and implicit TLS/SSL are in the details of the connection. The differences can be summarized as follows:
- With explicit TLS/SSL, your FTP client specifically asks for an encrypted connection.
- With implicit TLS/SSL, a secure connection is implied by connecting to a specific port on the FTP server.
- Explicit TLS/SSL allows your FTP client to negotiate security with the server. Implicit TLS/SSL does not allow negotiation.
- Explicit TLS/SSL is more secure as it allows the FTP client to reject bogus SSL certificates.
- Implicit TLS/SSL was not defined in RFC 4217, and is therefore deprecated.
ExaVault only supports FTP over Explicit SSL. Because Implicit SSL is not part of the official standard, we do not plan to support it.
For further details about the nature of FTP-SSL connections, visit the Wikipedia page for FTP-SSL.
Can I Use FTP-SSL To Transfer Files Files In A Browser?
Not at this time. If you need to transfer files with an FTP client that supports FTP-SSL. However, we do offer a Secure FTP web client: