In this tutorial, we'll be going over how to use SFTP. Many FTP clients have SFTP functionality built in, you just have to turn it on. We'll be using a free FTP/SFTP client called Filezilla.
FTP stands for "File Transfer Protocol". It is a protocol for moving files from one location to another. Many people think that SFTP stands for "Secure File Transfer Protocol". While that sounds right, it's not. The "S" actually stands for "SSH" (Secure Shell) encryption. From a user's point of view, SFTP is just like FTP except that it's secure.
Even though FTP gets the job done, it sends everthing using clear text, including your username and password. That means that anyone with a sniffer (program that collects network traffic) between your computer and the computer to which you're sending files could easily grab your password.
As mentioned above, SFTP uses SSH encryption. This means it doesn't send clear text passswords.
Open up Filezilla and go to "File -> Site Manager".
Create a new site by clicking the "New Site" button.
Enter a name for the new site.
Enter the name of your domain for the host.
Select "SFTP using SSH2" for the server type.
Select "Normal" for the logon type.
Enter your username and password.
If you want, select "Default site".
Click the "Connect" button to connect to your site.
