Regular FTP is not a secure protocol. What this means is that when you connect to a server using regular FTP, your password is sent in “plaintext,” which means that anyone who intercepts your traffic along the way can see your password and could break into all of your Grinnell accounts. In addition, all of your files are sent unencrypted, so those too could be read by anyone along the way. Bad news!
When you use secure FTP, your computer first sets up an encrypted session between itself and the server it is connecting to. This way, when it sends your password and files, anyone spying on your traffic will only see unintelligible junk. This makes it much more difficult for malicious users to steal account information, and keeps all of your personal stuff safe. Hooray!
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact the Helpdesk by e-mail or at 641–269–4400.
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Disclaimer
All content on these pages is provided for reference without a warranty of any kind. Neither Grinnell College nor the Technology Consultants are responsible for any problems or damage encountered when following the advice on these pages. We try to provide the soundest, most reasonable advice we can, and we are fully confident in it, but you can’t sue us.