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SFTP Server Details

Files.com operates a proprietary SFTP server software that we build and maintain in-house using our full-time employees. We are one of the largest providers of cloud-based SFTP in the world and our SFTP software has been in production use for over 15 years.

The Files.com SFTP server is hosted in 7 geographic regions and is deployed as a highly available service within each region. This means that there is no single SFTP server you connect to; your requests are served by a pool of servers in each region.

RFC Compliance

Files.com implements the Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) consistent with the relevant IETF RFCs, including RFC 4251–4256 and related specifications. Our implementation follows the defined protocol structures, interoperates with major SFTP clients and libraries, and enforces modern cryptographic standards.

We test interoperability against a wide range of commonly used SFTP clients and libraries, including OpenSSH, WinSCP, Cyberduck, and programmatic libraries such as Paramiko. Our implementation behaves consistently with the expectations set forth in the RFCs and industry practice.

SSH Capabilities

Files.com provides SSH-based file transfer through SFTP and SCP, with SSH keys available for authentication. Shell access and SSH tunneling are unavailable.

An open SSH port is expected for file transfer and does not establish that shell access or tunneling is available. Files.com closes a connection that requests a shell, even when the supplied credentials are valid. A client attempting shell access receives a message like this:

Welcome [username]. your authentication method is working. Files.com does not permit shell access. Please use an SFTP client instead. Connection to [site] closed.

SSH Protocol Version

Clients must support SSH protocol version 2 (SSH-2). Files.com does not accept SSH protocol version 1 (SSH-1). Enabling legacy SFTP cipher support changes the algorithms available within SSH-2; it does not enable SSH-1.

Welcome Message

The SFTP service supports a configurable welcome message, also called the Message of the Day (MOTD), shown when users first connect. Configure it in the SFTP service options for your site. Only plain text is supported.