
A client would send their key to the server, and if the server's key matched, bidirectional transfer of data could occur. Unlike Telnet that used two channels for client-server authentication, SSH would use one channel. Secure Shell (SSH) was born out of the inherent insecurity associated with FTP and Telnet protocols.

SSH File Transfer Protocol Stripped Down to the Bone In 1995, a certain Tatu Ylönen would develop Secure Shell Protocol for his personal use.įast forward fifteen years later, and SSH protocol is used in millions of companies worldwide. Telnet, RSH, and FPS protocols were no longer safe. Subsequently, another malicious user could access usernames and intentionally enter wrong passwords leading to a denial of service for key clients. The possibilities of threats were endless.Ī malicious user, for example, could change a client's IP address to their own and harvest unencrypted information, including plain text passwords and crucial data. Think of everything from IP, DNS, and routing spoofing to packet sniffing and denial of service attacks. It was not long before a myriad of issues reared their ugly heads. Symmetric password-based authentication would ensure data protection, but the celebration would be short-lived. Try it: Start Your Free Trial of MOVEit Transfer. The client would send the key to the server, and if they matched, bidirectional data transfer could occur. Login protocols would require a client and server to have a matching key and password. This need gave rise to symmetric password-based authentication through login protocols such as Telnet and RSH. For its many shortcomings, being unencrypted is FPS's biggest one.Īs users started sharing more crucial and confidential information across client-server endpoints, there was a need for enhanced security.

A file transfer protocol such as FPS or SFPS is what facilitates this transfer. Long live FPS and Telnet protocols the foundations of managed file transfer as we know it today.Īll forms of data transfer occur across two endpoints: a client and a server. A Detour to FPS and Telnet ProtocolĪn article about SSH that doesn't pay homage to its predecessors is incomplete. Usernames, passwords, encryption, and data are all viable targets. There are vulnerabilities in file transfer from the moment a user logs in. Even without the jump-scares, that's how a security team's horror movie looks.Īs long as the Internet exists, transferring data between two or more endpoints will always be challenging. Picture this: "Webhosting Company loses 13 million plaintext passwords" in bold at the head of a blog or a paper.įew headlines can send this many chills down the backs of an IT security team, and this is one.
