CuteFTP Professional User s Guide 

SSL connection over a dedicated port (990) registered with the IANA. This approach, while 

quite common, is not favored by the IETF. CuteFTP supports this implementation for 

broader compatibility. 

Explicit "AUTH SSL" 

SSL connection over a standard port (21) using  AUTH SSL  or  AUTH TLS P  to 

negotiate the protection mechanism. AUTH TLS P implicitly sets the protection mechanism 

and is therefore in direct disagreement with RFC 2228. CuteFTP does support AUTH SSL, 

and subsequently sets the protection mechanism explicitly using the PROT command and its 

approved arguments. 

Explicit  AUTH TLS  

SSL v3.1 connection over a standard port (21) and explicitly setting the protection 

mechanism. This is the version that best adheres to RFC 2228 and is favored by the IETF in 

its latest FTP over SSL draft (draft murray auth ftp tls 13.txt). This version is supported by 

CuteFTP and is selected by default when establish a new SSL connection. 

Apart from those mentioned above, CuteFTP will not connect to servers requiring  AUTH 

TLS P  or other deprecated SSL connection mechanisms. 

Connecting to HTTPS sites 

HTTPS sites use SSL to secure HTTP connections. 

T

O CONNECT TO AN 

HTTPS S

ITE 

1.  From the menu, choose File > New > HTTPS (SSL) Site.  

2.  Enter a name for the site in the Label field.  

3.  Enter a site's address in the Host address field. You do not need to prefix the site 

address with 

https://

.  

4.  Enter your user name in the Username field. The HTTPS server administrator 

provides the username and password. 

5.  Enter your password in the Password field. 

6. Select 

Connect. 

7.  When you connect for the first time, the Accept Certificate dialog box displays. 

8. Select 

Accept if you trust the certificate. Rejecting a certificate will abort the 

connection. 

C

ONFIGURATION 

N

OTES

HTTPS sites rely on the use of certificates to verify that you are in fact 

communicating with the desired HTTPS server and to establish the secure 

connection.  

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