Secure copy (SCP) is another method to transfer files with an encrypted connection. Most commonly, SCP is used by system administrators to create automated transfer scripts. Like Secure FTP, SCP utilizes SSH and may use SSH keys to login without passwords.

If you don't like to work at a command line, (like a DOS prompt), then SCP is probably not for you.

Rather, you should look to use Secure FTP to transfer files to your server with an encrypted connection.

For a complete history and lots of technical details about SCP, Secure FTP, SSH and public key encryption, visit:

• Secure copy page at Wikipedia)
• The secure shell page at Wikipedia
• The secure FTP page at Wikipedia
• The public key encryption page at Wikipedia
• Jan Pechanec: How the SCP protocol works

Transferring files with SCP is easy with an ExaVault account. However, you will need an SCP client. Here's what you will need:

• Your FTP server name (e.g.: bobsmith.exavault.com )
• Your username (e.g.: bobsmith)
• Your password
• An SCP client program

After signing up for an account, many people have questions about their service. He are some answers to some of the more commonly asked questions about SCP. If you have more general questions about file transfers, then you might want to visit our FAQ pages.

Yes. In fact, you create SSH keys for SCP the same way that you create keys for SFTP.

SCP command syntax is based on SSH. The basic syntax to upload a file is:

 scp   LocalFileName   Username@YourAccount.exavault.com:RemoteDirectory/RemoteFileName

Likewise, the basic syntax to download a files is:

 scp   Username@YourAccount.exavault.com:RemoteDirectory/RemoteFileName   LocalFileName

S p a c e s in file and directory n a m e s will need to be escaped with backslashes:

 scp   Local\ File\ Name   Username@YourAccount.exavault.com:Remote\ Directory/Remote\ File\ Name
 scp   Username@YourAccount.exavault.com:Remote\ Directory/Remote\ File\ Name   Local\ File\ Name

And if you would like to use an SSH key:

 scp   -i path_to_private_key_file   LocalFileName   Username@YourAccount.exavault.com:RemoteDirectory/RemoteFileName
 scp   -i path_to_private_key_file   Username@YourAccount.exavault.com:RemoteDirectory/RemoteFileName   LocalFileName

For further information, check out the SCP man pages:

• University of Colorado's Simplified SCP Man Page
• die.net's SCP man page (for the Unix purists)