USING SECURE FILE TRANSFER TO TRANSFER YOUR FILES

All Smith's web servers support only secure file transfer.

If you help to develop or maintain web pages on a Smith web server, this document explains how to switch from non-secure file transfer to secure file transfer, so you can continue to transfer files to and from your web server successfully. You can make the switch at any time, and it won't affect any other aspect of your Web site.

If you currently use one of the programs below, click on the appropriate link to learn how to switch to Secure FTP:

• Contribute on a Macintosh or Windows computer
• Dreamweaver on a Macintosh or Windows computer
• Fetch to transfer files on a Macintosh
• WS_FTP LE 95 to transfer files on a Windows computer
  

NOTE: If you are already using one of the secure programs below to transfer files to and from a Smith web server, you do not need to make any changes:

• Fugu for Macintosh
• SSH Secure File Transfer for Windows
• Core FTP for Windows
  

Why is secure file transfer important?

Whenever you upload files to a server or download files from a server, your computer and the server use a set of communication rules called File Transfer Protocol, or FTP for short, to manage the transfer.

• Non-secure FTP programs do not encrypt your password or files, leaving them vulnerable to hackers during the transfer process.
  
  
• Secure FTP programs encrypt your passwords and files before the transfer, providing greater security during the transfer.  When the files reach the receiving end, they are automatically un-encrypted and can be accessed as usual.
  
  

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Secure File Transfer for Contribute users

Connection Key users: If you normally connect to your Web site using a Connection Key sent by a Contribute administrator, ask that person to send you a new Connection Key that incorporates Secure FTP. Contribute Administrators: For each web site you administer, first edit your own Contribute connection so it uses Secure FTP (as explained below), then create a new Connection Key for each user who connects to the site using a key. The new keys will incorporate the secure connection.

If you created your own site connection in Contribute, it's easy to edit your connection to always use Secure FTP:

1. Within Contribute, open the Edit menu and select My Connections.
   
   
2. In the My Connections window, select a connection and click on the Edit button.
   
   
3. In the Edit Connection window, keep clicking Next until you come to the Connection Information page, as shown below.  Click on the drop-down arrow beside the first text field and choose Secure FTP (SFTP).
   
   
   
   
   
4. Keep clicking Next until you reach the last Edit Connection page, then click the Done button.
   
   
5. If you use Contribute to edit multiple Web sites, repeat steps 2-4 for each one.
   
   
6. Click Close to close the My Connections window. Your connections are now set to always use Secure FTP.

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Secure File Transfer for Dreamweaver users

It's easy to change your Dreamweaver site definition so Dreamweaver always uses Secure FTP to connect to your designated remote server:

1. Within Dreamweaver, open the Site menu and select Manage Sites.
   
   
2. In the Manage Sites window, select a site and click Edit.
   
   
3. In the Site Definition window, click on the Advanced tab and select the Remote Info category on the left.
   
   
4. On the Remote Info page, click on the Use Secure FTP checkbox as shown below, then click the OK button to close the Site Definition window.
   
   
   
   
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for all the sites you manage, then click Done to close the Manage Sites window. Your connections are now set to always use Secure FTP.

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Secure File Transfer for Fetch users

Fetch can be set to use either secure or non-secure file transfer.  Be sure to always select SFTP as your connection type when you log in, as shown below:

Another secure FTP option for Macintosh users is Fugu.  Both Fetch and Fugu are available for downloading from the Smith software download site.

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Secure File Transfer options for WS_FTP LE users

For Windows users, the approved secure alternatives to WS_FTP LE (a non-secure FTP program) are:

• Core FTP: For instructions, click here.
  
  
• SSH Secure Shell & Secure FTP:
  
  
  • Staff & Faculty: For instructions, click here.
    
    
  • Students: For instructions, click here.
    

NOTE: If you currently have SSH Secure Shell installed on your computer, you already have SSH Secure FTP.

 

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