Cisco Cyber Security Practice Exam 2026 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Secure Copy (SCP) is a network protocol that specifically allows for the secure transfer of files between devices over a network. It utilizes the SSH (Secure Shell) protocol to provide authentication and encryption, ensuring that the data being transferred remains confidential and secure from potential eavesdropping or interception.

What sets SCP apart from other protocols is its inherent focus on security. While File Transfer Protocol (FTP) does allow for file transfers, it does so without encryption, exposing data to vulnerabilities during transit. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is designed for transferring web pages and is not secure by default, although it has a secure version (HTTPS) that uses TLS. Transport Layer Security (TLS) itself is a cryptographic protocol aimed at securing communications over a computer network but does not directly transfer files.

The combination of using SSH for secure authentication and encryption makes SCP the preferred choice for securely transferring files, affirming its role as the correct answer in the context of secure file transfer protocols.