Many of us are computer users, and in particular the Internet. Even now, while reading this article, you use the Internet services, which include many protocols, among which there are security protocols that protect users from the actions of attackers. In our article we will try to tell what FTPS port is, and how it affects our security.
What is FTPS for?
The standard FTP protocol is a file transfer structure without any encryption, which is fraught with all kinds of data theft when transporting it from server to server and to a computer. Before FTPS, hackers very often used this feature for their own purposes. Here we can refer to the fact that the concept of "hacker" appeared not so long ago as the Internet itself, and many did not even think that seemingly secure protocols are fairly easily bypassed.
After the discovery of this vulnerability by many users, this was made public, after which in 1996 a decision was made about the need to replace the FTP transfer method, namely, the complication of breaking it. The solution was such that at first the data will be encrypted via the TLS or SSL protocol, after which it will only be transferred “to the hands” of FTP. The merger of these methods spawned a new protocol called FTPS (File Transfer Protocol + SSL).
The STL protocol itself works in such a way that upon receipt after processing it is almost impossible to decrypt without having a special key, which is a message decoder. Thus, the standard FTP protocol has acquired a personal encryptor, capable of many times securing the usual data transfer both at the level of ordinary users and at the corporate level.
How to transfer the server to the FTPS port
As you know, FTP is a protocol for transferring information in the form of files, which use the principle of "client-server". A server using FTP is a kind of storage on which files are stored using the Internet. The server itself is the same (almost) personal computer, which has several times more disk space and RAM.
Even simple Windows 7 can be installed on the server as an operating system, but it will not reveal its full potential, which is why they use the latest versions of Windows Server. They are simplified in appearance and do not support games, but they are still operating systems.
The Filezilla service provides FTPS connectivity to your server. All that is required is to go to the official website and download the program, then launch it and go to the TLS / SSL settings, where you will need to create a new security certificate. This is done simply and without much effort - just fill in the required fields. It is worth noting that this port is more secure than the FTP server port .
How port works
Terms and explanations are not enough to understand the whole concept of how data from a server is encrypted, and then sent to another server. The following algorithm explains exactly how the FTPS port works:
- A special CSR request is sent, which says that the client requests encryption of certain data.
- Having received the request, the server draws up an encryption plan (algorithm, to be more precise). The client-server receives an SSL certificate, as well as a key so that the user can decrypt the data.
- Upon receipt, the client reads the certificate, namely the information that it contains, followed by verification of this certificate with what is located on the server.
- If the certificates do not match, an error code is sent that indicates the reason for the non-compliance. If the certificates are the same, then a special session key is generated, and then it is sent to the server, where the latter, using this key, encrypts all the files that are transferred between the client and the server.
This encryption principle provides maximum data security.
Conclusion
Using secure client-server connections ensures the maximum safety of your data, which is exactly what FTPS is. We hope that you now understand what the FTPS port is and how it differs from regular FTP.