Old age comes for the best of us. One day we awake to find our limbs aren’t quite as agile as they used to be, our smile lines are looking more like crow’s feet and our left hip makes that alarming noise when we get out of comfortable chairs. Pretty soon we’ll be out of touch with the youth of today and we’ll look at the latest gizmos with that particular blend of derision and incomprehension reserved for the elderly.
If this process is inevitable for human beings, it’s also true for our technology. Just as gramophones, VHS and minidisc players have gone the way of the dodo (thanks to a combination of new, improved, more convenient systems and ever more demanding user requirements), so too does software age and fall out of use.
FTP faces retirement
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is one middle aged system currently situated right on the cusp of retirement. The hot young things (particularly Managed File Transfer solutions coming up via fresh providers like Thruinc.com) are making it increasingly evident that FTP has had it’s day and it’s now time to put this increasingly past-it protocol out to pasture.
I don’t want to push the analogy too much further, but FTP is facing many of the problems commonly associated with old age: a lack of flexibility and adaptability, frailty and vulnerability and a lack of functionality and visibility. It may be the dependable old system that many businesses and enterprises know, love and trust (complete with well-known kooks), but the young guns – particularly MFT – are now showing up FTP’s many shortfalls and inadequacies, leaving this 30 year old protocol behind.
Increasingly apparent limitations
Whether you’re using FTP as an alternative to email for larger file transfers, or have numerous FTP servers in action within your business for a variety of deep rooted functions, you’ll likely be aware of its limitations. What you may not be aware of is a range of better alternatives. For example, with more cutting-edge systems you no longer need to deal with:
- Zero central visibility
Transparency is a buzzword you can’t really get away from in the corporate sphere today. Most of the time this refers to wholesome, open business practices visible to clients and customers. However, from a file sharing perspective, transparency is also increasingly crucial. Centralized surveillance of file transfer activity prevents breaches, identifies possible vulnerabilities, monitors usage and helps prove compliance. FTP as is does not allow for visibility of this nature.
- No non-repudiation tracking
If you can’t track non-repudiation, you can’t be certain of the integrity of the origin of data received via FTP. This is a huge security risk.
- The need for additional implementations
FTP is now 30 years old which means it was not specifically designed for the businesses of 2014. Digital business practices have changed dramatically since the 1980s and, although FTP has evolved since its inception, it is not a perfect fit for modern businesses with increasingly demanding file transfer requirements.
The need for better visibility, better security and bespoke features means that FTP requires significant development to render it fit for purpose. This means substantial development costs for additional implementations. As an out-of-the-box solution, FTP just doesn’t work today. This is not just costly, it can also leave enterprises with very niche systems which require significant inside knowledge and expertise to operate and maintain.
- Multiple FTP servers
Today it is very likely that enterprises will have multiple FTP servers on the go, all set up to handle different operating systems, different departments, different physical sites, different applications – you name it. This can result in a real jumble of systems, all with their own vulnerabilities and weaknesses. This doesn’t just make it difficult to manage and maintain a system, it’s also very risky from a security perspective. With so many different routes in, a system of varied FTP servers has more holes than a piece of Jarlsberg.
- Poor systems for ensuring compliance
Whether it’s essential in your industry or a requirement of your insurer, proving a high standard of data security is often very important within large businesses. Proving compliance with data security regulations is a big challenge with FTP, again as a result of poor visibility and inflexibility.
Is your FTP feeling outdated? Which alternatives are you considering? Share your experience with our readers below.
Related posts
Security
Here is What Makes You More Likely to Fall Victim to a Data Breach
In recent years, data breaches have become more and more common. Being the victim of a breach is a very scary thing, your personal data is at risk and you aren’t sure how little or how much information has been taken from you. Are there…
If Online Privacy Is Dead, Is There Anything We Can Do?
The online world is both wonderful and frightening in equal measure. On the one hand, we have access to unlimited information and resources, but on the other, we have zero privacy. For most adults, the internet is a part of every aspect of their daily…
Reason To Choose Comodo SSL Certificate To Secure Your Website
It should be clear by now that for your website to survive in this modern era, hacker ridden internet era, it is important for all the information that go on it or through it to be encrypted. To have a website without SSL protection is…
6 Unexpected Security Concerns, and How to Prepare
As powerful as the Internet is right now, it’s impossible to even imagine where it will go over the next years and beyond. But, as fast as security protection continues to improve, hackers seem to improve even more quickly. Everything from new devices to apps…
Your Business Needs These 13 Digital Security Solutions – Here’s How To Get The Most Out Of Each
How would you characterize your organization’s digital security posture? If you’re not sure how to answer this question, or perhaps would prefer not to answer it at all, you’re not alone. Countless decision-makers, from uber-competent CTOs and CISOs to CEOs and COOs who couldn’t code…
Categories
- 3D Printing
- Advertising
- Android
- App Dev
- Apple
- Apps
- Artificial Intelligence
- Arts and Entertainment
- Automobile
- Big Data
- Bitcoin
- biztech
- Blockchain Tech
- Blogging
- Business
- Business Technology
- BYOD
- Car Technology
- Careers
- Cars
- Cloud
- Cloud Computing
- Cloud Storage
- Computer and Technology
- Computers
- Conference Calling
- Coupons
- Coupons and Deals
- Cryptocurrency
- Cyber Security
- Dark Left 1
- Data
- Data Center
- Data Recovery
- Design
- Digital Arena
- Digital Marketing
- E-Commerce
- Edu Tech
- Education
- Electronics
- Email Marketing
- Energy
- Entertainment
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Freelancing
- Gadgets
- Gaming
- Google Glass
- Guides and Tutorials
- Hardware
- Health and Fitness
- Home Appliance
- Home Improvement
- Home Security
- Infographics
- Internet
- Internet and Businesses Online
- Internet Marketing
- IoT
- IT
- IT Careers
- Marketing
- Mobile Apps
- Mobile Security
- Networking
- New Tech
- News
- Online Shopping
- Photography
- Privacy
- Programming
- Project Management
- Random
- Reference and Education
- Reputation Management
- Review
- Robotics
- Sales & Marketing
- Security
- SEO
- Server
- Shopping and Product reviews
- Small Business
- Smartphone
- Smartphones
- Social Media
- Software
- Softwares
- Startups
- Storage
- Tech Trends
- Technical Support
- Technology
- Technology in Education
- Tips & Tricks
- Tips And Tricks
- Uncategorized
- Unlocking
- Video Conferencing
- Virtual Reality
- VPN
- Wearable Technology
- Web Design
- Web Development
- Web Hosting
- Websites
- Windows
- Wordpress
- Writing
Recent Posts
What You Need to Look for In Your Virtual Data Room
The value of virtual data rooms in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) can never be overemphasized. More and more companies are utilizing these secure platforms in the process of conducting due diligence on a potential financial transaction. For instance, by 2022, the Virtual Data Rooms (VDR)…
Here is What Makes You More Likely to Fall Victim to a Data Breach
In recent years, data breaches have become more and more common. Being the victim of a breach is a very scary thing, your personal data is at risk and you aren’t sure how little or how much information has been taken from you. Are there…
Cyber Security
3 Ways to Prepare For Cyber Security Risks That Employees Must Know
In a world where everything is much easier to do via mobile, app, or device, technology is not going to slow down. We’re all guilty of potentially owning more than one device, whether that is our personal phones, work phones, tablets or fitness trackers. All…
Non-Negotiable Elements For Your Business IT Security Plan
In 2019, having a business IT security plan is more important than ever. An IT security plan is the first line of defense you have for protecting your business – and your clients – against cybercriminals. Cybercriminals include hackers, who frequently obtain personal information with…
Businesses Need To Be Proactive When It Comes To Cyber Security
For business of any size, making sure they are not only compliant with security regulations but continually improving and adjusting the measures they have in place is vital. Quite often the factor which determines how a business approaches cyber security is the mindset of the…
How To Become A Cyber Security Analyst
What is Cyber Security? Cyber security is the practice of protecting a system or network from digital attacks. These attacks are generally aimed to retrieve or destroy sensitive information and it is a serious threat to all the organizations. Who is A Cyber Security Analyst…