Secure File Transfer Protocol (**SFTP**) is a secure protocol used to *transfer files from one device to another* over a network. SFTP uses secure shell (**SSH**), typically through TCP port 22. SSH uses *Advanced Encryption Standard* (AES) and other types of encryption to ensure that unintended recipients cannot intercept the transmissions. In the TCP/IP model, SFTP occurs at the [[application layer]]. SFTP is *used often with cloud storage*. Every time a user uploads or downloads a file from cloud storage, the file is transferred using the SFTP protocol.