(CHANGED!) IMPORTANT: FTP access changing to SFTP on July 5th, 2011

[Rutabaga]

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Update: Note that this article has been updated from its original version:
1. The launch date has been changed to Tuesday, July 5th.
2. The domain for connecting via SFTP has been changed.

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The PCI SSC (Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council) recently decided that allowing users to connect to a website using the standard FTP protocol is in violation of PCI Compliance standards. This is because FTP connections can transmit the user's FTP user name and password as plain, unencrypted text during the login process.

In order to retain PCI Compliance, users must instead connect to their websites using the SFTP protocol. SFTP is exactly the same as FTP, except that its connection to the server is encrypted.

On Tuesday, July 5th, 2011, all Modular Merchant servers will switch from using FTP to SFTP. At that time, FTP connections will no longer be accepted by the server. SFTP must be used to connect to the server instead.

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Configuring an SFTP Connection
Connecting to a website by SFTP is nearly identical to connecting to it by FTP. The domain name and/or IP address remains the same, as does the user name and password.

The difference is the address, protocol and port that are used to make the connection. The FTP program's settings must be changed in the following ways:

Address: The address/domain to connect to will be: secure000.modularmerchant.com
Replace "000" in this address with your account's Server Number. The Server Number can be found in your store's administration area at: [Admin > System Settings].

Protocol: The FTP program must use the SFTP over SSH protocol, instead of the FTP protocol.

Port: The SFTP connection must be made over port 22.


An example of an SFTP connection's Protocol and Port settings.

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When can I start using SFTP?
You can actually start using SFTP to connect to your website now. We recommend updating the settings in your FTP program ASAP to take advantage of the the secure SFTP protocol. On Tuesday, July 5th, in accordance with PCI Compliance requirements, FTP access will be disabled on all servers, and, at that time, only SFTP connections will be allowed.

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions regarding SFTP, contact your Modular Merchant support team.
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Rutabaga
Keeper of the Development Schedule
Modular Merchant Shopping Cart Software.