Use Cases

These examples map common uses where encryption comes into play to the Files.com features in the Encryption section.

Connecting A Legacy SFTP Client

Some older SFTP clients only support legacy cipher suites, which blocks connectivity against Files.com's default secure ciphers.

Upgrading the client resolves this in most cases, and it is the outcome to push for. Determine Which Ciphers Are Being Used to identify which clients are actually affected before you change any site setting. Often only a handful are.

When a business-critical client cannot be upgraded, Optional Support for Legacy Insecure Ciphers for SFTP covers the setting that accepts legacy algorithms and the sitewide cost of turning it on.

Troubleshooting A TLS Handshake Or Trust Error

TLS failures often come from certificate trust, hostname mismatch, or outdated client TLS support.

Use TLS/SSL Certificates to validate certificate configuration and expected client behavior.

Using A Custom Domain With A Customer-Managed Certificate

Custom domains change what hostname clients connect to. That can change certificate trust requirements.

Start with TLS/SSL Certificates. Then review Custom Domain for domain configuration details.

Encrypting Files For An External Partner (PGP/GPG)

Use GPG when a partner requires PGP-compatible encrypted files at rest. This is separate from transport encryption.

Start with GPG (PGP). Then use GPG Encryption and GPG Key Manager.

Decrypting Inbound Files For Processing

Use GPG decryption when partners deliver encrypted payloads. This is common for batch data exchange.

See GPG Decryption for how Files.com performs decryption and what inputs it expects.

Validating Which Cipher A Client Actually Uses

Client configuration and negotiation can result in a different cipher than expected.

Use Determining Which Ciphers Are Being Used to confirm the negotiated cipher before changing settings.