FTP Explained: What is File Transfer Protocol and How It Works

• Lack of Encryption: FTP’s biggest disadvantage is its lack of encryption. Data, including usernames and passwords, is sent in plaintext, making it vulnerable to interception. This poses a significant security risk, particularly for transferring sensitive information.
• Incompatibility with Secure Networks: FTP’s reliance on plaintext data transfer means it’s unsuitable for networks requiring high security standards. Its lack of security protocols makes it a poor choice for modern secure applications, especially over public or shared networks.
• Complex Firewall and NAT Configuration: FTP uses two channels (control and data), making it harder to configure with firewalls and NAT. This can lead to connectivity issues and requires extra setup steps, particularly in environments where security protocols tightly control network traffic.
• Availability of Secure Alternatives: With the development of secure alternatives like SFTP and FTPS, there’s little reason to use FTP when more secure options exist. These alternatives provide encryption and stronger authentication, addressing FTP’s primary shortcomings.

• FTP: FTP is designed specifically for transferring files between a client and server, typically for uploading or downloading files.
• HTTP/HTTPS: Designed to deliver web pages and content (like HTML, images, videos) over the internet. HTTPS is an encrypted version of HTTP, commonly used to secure online transactions and protect user data on websites.
• Connections: FTP uses two separate connections—one for control (commands) and another for data transfer. This dual-channel setup, often using ports 21 (control) and 20 (data), can make FTP harder to configure with firewalls. HTTP/HTTPS uses a single connection (usually on port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS) to request and transfer web content.

Yes, FTP can be integrated with modern cloud services to enhance functionality, providing a bridge between traditional file transfer methods and cloud storage benefits. Many cloud providers offer FTP-to-cloud gateways, allowing files transferred via FTP to be automatically uploaded to cloud storage. This enables seamless data backup, remote access, and scalability.

Hybrid solutions allow businesses to leverage FTP for large, bulk transfers while taking advantage of the cloud for storage, sharing, and real-time collaboration, combining the strengths of both technologies.