## Why protecting FTP servers matters

FTP is a standard protocol for file transfers across public repositories,
network appliances, and production systems. However, file transfer is not the
same as a backup strategy.

While FTP moves files between systems, it does not protect the data once it
arrives. Standard FTP setups face several risks:

- **Lack of Versioning**: Files can be overwritten or deleted immediately after
  upload.
- **No Immutability**: There are no permanent snapshots to revert to if a file
  is corrupted.
- **Operational Risk**: Manual transfers or custom scripts are error-prone and
  difficult to audit.

Simply storing files via FTP is not enough when compliance, uptime, or disaster
recovery is critical. You need verifiable, immutable backups that can survive
mistakes, misconfigurations, or unauthorized access.

## Security and Compromise

If FTP credentials are leaked or an account is compromised, your data is at
risk:

- **Data Loss**: Unauthorized access can be used to delete or overwrite entire
  directories instantly.
- **Corruption**: Malicious actors or faulty scripts can modify live data on the
  server.
- **Synchronization Issues**: Automated sync tools can unintentionally spread
  corruption from one server to another.

Without independent snapshots, recovery from these events can be impossible.
Plakar closes this gap by providing a system where every snapshot acts as an
immutable version that cannot be altered. This ensures your history remains
intact even if the FTP server itself is compromised.

Plakar allows for direct inspection of backups, letting you easily browse,
search, or verify the integrity of your data via the CLI or UI without needing
to perform a full restore first.

## How Plakar secures your FTP workflows

Plakar can integrate with FTP servers as:

- **Source Connector**: Take snapshots of files located on a remote FTP server
  and bring them into a secure Plakar Kloset.
- **Destination Connector**: Restore your snapshots to any FTP server in your
  environment.
- **Viewer**: Browse and verify FTP-sourced backups without performing a full
  restore.

Plakar ensures your FTP-based infrastructure remains resilient, secure, and
verifiable from creation to recovery.

**Note**: The FTP integration preserves all metadata exposed by the FTP server.
Metadata availability varies between FTP server implementations, with some
providing full file attributes and others exposing only basic information.