FTP / SFTP
File Transfer Protocol / SSH File Transfer Protocol
Judgement: Caution
Unencrypted FTP is unsafe for new work; SFTP-only as a last resort when partners can't speak HTTP APIs.
FTP (RFC 959) is the original file transfer protocol; SFTP runs file transfer over an SSH channel and is the secure variant most enterprises actually deploy.
Unsexy but unavoidable: many regulated industries — banking, insurance, public sector — still hand off bulk data between organisations as nightly (S)FTP drops.
At a glance
- Category
- Interconnection
- Governance
- IETF
- Status
- Stable; legacy but pervasive in B2B data exchange
- First released
- 1971
Links
Related standards
Other standards in Interconnection.
- HTTP — Hypertext Transfer Protocol
- Delta Sharing — Delta Sharing Protocol
See FTP / SFTP in context
Open the interactive Data Landscape to compare FTP / SFTP against every other open standard, or grab the raw JSON. Spotted something wrong? Open an issue.