A secure connection (basically encryption) must always be used when transferring files between computers or connecting remotely. Users’ usernames, passwords, and any other confidential or fragile data will be protected using encryption. In order to accomplish this, secure protocols are required. Both SSH and SFTP have long been used together. They are interconnected when it comes to communication security, however, they are not identical.
what SSH is?
A Secure Shell (SSH) connection ensures the security of login requests and information exchanged between remote endpoints. For optimal performance and encryption, SSH combines asymmetric (public and private key) cryptography and symmetric cryptology. Using it, organizations can communicate securely with remote servers.
With Secure Shell, you can use public keys and strong passwords to authenticate, as well as encrypt your data transfer between two computers connected to an open network like the internet. Network administrators use SSH to manage systems and applications remotely, logging in to another computer over a network, executing commands, and transferring files between computers.
To put it simply, SSH allows you to safely access your server and perform Linux command-line operations. Despite the fact that you will be running Linux commands, you can still perform SSH on a computer running Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Taking control of computers from a distance has existed since long time. Based on the operating system you use, there are multiple methods of connecting to a remote machine. SSH is one of the most acquainted protocol.
what SFTP is?
The SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is a protocol used for securely transferring files over SSH. SFTP allows secure data transfer over the internet using the SSH transport layer. SSH-based file transfers enable organizations to establish a more secure connection and encrypt data more effectively. For transferring files, it takes advantage of the cryptographic capabilities of SSH authentication.
File transfer over remote systems using SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol, generally referred to as Secure FTP) is a popular method for transporting data securely. It was developed as a secure extension to Secure Shell 2.0 (SSH) to enhance files transfer security. A user can access, transmit, and manage files via SFTP without requiring command-line access. Data and commands are both encrypted and transmitted over a secured connection using SSH using specially formatted binary packets.
What’s the primary difference between SSH and SFTP?
| SSH | SFTP |
| Developed by Tata Ylonen in 1995 | Developed by the same Tata Ylonen two year later. That is in 1997. |
| Primary role is to make login safer and to provide authentication for communications. | 2. Using it, files can be safely transferred between the two endpoints. |
| One of the two public or private keys is used for communication | 3 Only one channel is utilizer to transfer data over the internet |
| SSH connections can be forwarded using port forwarding. | 4 It encrypts the data when it is sent. |
| An architecture is dedicated | 5 An SSH-based architecture was used to build it. |
| SSH user authentication is used | 6 It also utilizes SSH user authentication as it is built on SSH transport layer only. |
| Remote login is seamlessly supported by SSH | IPv6 HTTPS protocols are fully supported by SFTP |
| Files are transferred using a secure mechanism. | 8 It uses tunnelling mechanism to transfer data. |
| Remote command execution, login, and the use of SSH over a network are typical applications. | 9 This protocol enables you to transfer, access, and manage files completely securely using a reliable data stream. |
| SSH can exist on its own. It means it is completely independent protocol | 10 On the other hand, SFTP needs SSH to be able to function. This protocol uses SSH as a kind of binding agent to safely transfer files between remote networks |
| The majority of SSH servers support SFTP commands. | 11 SFTP servers do not always support SSH commands. |
| It is used in Windows, Mac and Linux Operating systems. | 12 Through SSH, files can be accessed, modified and transferred. |
Conclusion:
Now that you know how SSH and SFTP are different from each other. Lastly having a look upon how they work might turn out to be useful for you!
SFTP is built on top of the SSH transport layer, so both SSH and SFTP require SSH user authentication. As far as user authentication goes, SSH usually supports these methods:
- An authentication method that relies on a user name and password.
- An authentication method that involves an SSH key and a user name. Note: Key-based authentication offers multiple servers the flexibility of using the same key and does not require password management.
- An SSH key along with a user name and password is required for two-factor authentication. Authenticating via two factors is the most secure method.
Even though SSH does not require two-factor authentication, you can require both a username and password at the same time, as well as SSH keys, for better security. Connecting to the server using an SSH key helps prevent unauthorized access. Authentication with SSH keys requires both private and public keys to be generated beforehand. It is sent to your trading partner for loading onto his or her SSH or SFTP server, then associated with your account. For authentication, the server verifies the key when you connect to the SSH or SFTP server. Everything must match in order for the authentication to be successful. It’s not a hard process to use SSH, is it?