Transferring Files Safely with Secure Shell

Schools, hospitals, government agencies, and enterprises - all of these organizations are tapping the power of the Internet to access and distribute mission-critical information. Readily-available, low-cost connectivity makes it possible to deliver files to customers, business partners, and employees inexpensively and immediately. Why rush a report over to FedEx when you could post it on a file server right now? Why courier patient medical records from diagnostic lab to hospital when they could be transferred immediately to the doctor who needs them?

Leveraging the Internet for data delivery is simple, convenient, and cost-effective - as long as file access, confidentiality, and integrity can be protected. Fortunately, cryptographic techniques like encryption, public-key authentication, and hashed-message authentication codes can prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of private data. The trick is to provide this protection without slowing deployment, inhibiting ease-of-use, or running up the cost.

Many organizations have found that they can meet these objectives by transferring files safely with Secure Shell, using products like VanDyke Software's VShell®, SecureFX®, and SecureCRT®. This paper describes how secure file transfer works, where it can be used, and the support provided by these products.