Which protocols replace FTP as secure alternatives?

Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) and Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) are both designed to provide secure alternatives to the traditional File Transfer Protocol (FTP), which lacks encryption and does not securely transmit data.

SCP uses SSH (Secure Shell) to facilitate secure file transfer, ensuring that data is encrypted during transmission, making it difficult for unauthorized users to intercept or access the files. It’s particularly efficient for transferring files securely in a one-way manner, which means that while you can send files with SCP, it does not inherently support interactive file management or directory listing.

SFTP, on the other hand, is also based on SSH and is both a secure and a more versatile file transfer protocol. It allows for interactive sessions where files can be managed, allowing operations like file listing, retrieval, and deletion. Like SCP, SFTP encrypts the data being transferred, thus safeguarding sensitive information against eavesdropping.

Together, SCP and SFTP provide robust security features and are preferred over FTP in environments where security is a primary concern. This makes them the correct options for replacing FTP as secure alternatives.