Security is the name of the game, and SFTP file transfer is the only type of FTP service I’ll ever use. As a Linux and Unix nut, I am very concerned about the security of my data. I often have huge amounts of local videos and pictures that need to be backed up routinely. I have made sure to select only sites that I can trust, and then I made use of a simple cron job to get my information synced. Using cron and rsync, I have been able to make sure that my data is secure if anything goes wrong.
This is a huge part of my home setup. Whenever I come home from a long trip, I am able to take all my memory cards out of my cameras, and import pictures and movies to my RAID 5 server. From there the pictures are archived, tagged, and then transferred over the Internet using secure file transfer. All transfers are then validated by using the MD5 application. This ensures that all my files are not corrupted after reaching the server. Backups are useless if the integrity of a file isn’t sustained. Sure, it seems like a lot of work, but I’ve been tuning my setup so that all I need to do is plug my flash cards into the computer. It’s pretty neat.