FTP Write not read

[nealt]

I have set up an FTP server account on my web site. I am concerned about the following. Apparently there is no way to prevent one person, who is uploading files and thus knows the name and password for the server, from viewing or even removing another uploaded file using a standard FTP program. How do you handle this? I talked to our web host and they said you need an FTP uploader program that will be preconfigured and that you give to people. I have not found one for the Mac that is still available. Any ideas?

I would think this is a common occurrence. These files can be big as they are digital video files. Is there another protocol besides FTP that can do the transfer.
The file could be coming from Mac, PC or Linux users.

[Satcomer]

Most Mac people use for FTP either the free CyberDuck or the shareware Transmit.

[nealt]

I know that. There is nothing to prevent someone with cyberduck from deleting all the files on the ftp server. Remember they need the same name and password to upload files.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Maybe I'm not understanding correctly, but if you're handing out the same username and password to multiple people, then all those people will have access to the same, shared set of files and folders.

The only way around this with FTP is to do one of the following:

1) Make each user their own username and password, and chroot them into separate folders (home folders) on the server.
2) Make multiple FTP user accounts, some with read-write access, some with write-only access, and some with read-only access, and dole them out to users that way depending on what their FTP needs are.

As long as you use the same username and password, everyone will have access -- but there is a way around this. You can create an FTP account that has only write access, and that way, users using that account can only upload -- they cannot download or delete any files, and they cannot "LIST" files, either -- so that means they cannot see what is currently on the FTP server.

Where is this FTP server located? Is it a server you have direct control of? Or is it a shared FTP server, like one you get when you sign up for cheap web hosting?

[nealt]

Yes I would like to create a write only FTP account. Unfortunately I do not know how to do this. Network Solutions is the host and they could not tell me how to do this. You can set permissions on a folder but that holds for all ftp accounts that access that folder.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

You probably have to have direct control over the FTP server; or at the very least, the ability to create new FTP user accounts.

With a typical web-hosting plan that offers FTP access, you don't get this level of granularity with control over permissions and what-not.

[nealt]

That could be. Any suggestions?

[ElDiabloConCaca]

If you don't have control over it, you don't have control over it, and there's nothing you can do about it with that current host.

One option is to find a different host, or simply host the FTP portion of the web services on a server you have direct control over.