Ssh File Transfer Protocol. Both command and data connections are encrypted between the client and the ftp server to allow passwords and other sensitive information to be transferred securely over the network. Secure file transfer protocol sftp is a file protocol for transferring large files over the web.
This protocol ensures encrypted data transfer to and from client and server systems over a single connection. Using the ssh protocol it supports encryption and other security methods used to better protect file transfers. Unlike ftp over ssltls ftps sftp only needs a single port number port 22 to establish a server connection.
Typical applications include remote command line login and remote command execution but any network service can be secured with ssh.
Unlike telnet that used two channels for client server authentication ssh would use one channel. The sftp ssh file transfer protocol is probably the most widely used secure file transfer protocol today. It supports the full security and authentication functionality of ssh. Important sftp support is currently in preview and is available in these regions.