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SCP is closely related to the SSH protocol and was indeed born from the same idea.

A computer with two Secure Copy Protocol monitors and a globe on it.

SCP makes sure that data remains confidential & untampered during transit as an extension of the SSH protocol.

First, lets understand how this SCP works, and then well see the scp commands.

What is SCP?

Two laptops use Secure Copy Protocol to transfer folders between them.

SCP stands for Secure Copy Protocol.

Its widely used for transferring data securely over a online grid.

SCP relies on SSH (Secure Shell) to establish a secure connection and encrypt the data during transit.

A computer with a secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) and a gear on it.

How SCP Works?

It uses the same security mechanisms as SSH, including encryption and authentication, to protect data during transmission.

When to Use SCP?

Ubuntu command line - secure copy protocol for transferring files.

SCP is particularly useful in the following scenarios.

Remote Collaboration

SCP can be used to share files securely with collaborators or team members in different locations.

you’re free to use various options to customize the transfer process.

A screenshot of a computer screen displaying the Secure Copy Protocol.

It can be used to disable strict host key checking.

Source

The source specifies the file or directory you want to copy.

It can be a local path or a remote path depending on the context.

A screenshot of a file transferred securely using the Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) displayed on a computer screen.

Destination

The destination specifies where you want to copy the source.

Like the source, it can also be a local path or a remote path.

/path/to/destination/:This is the destination path on the remote server where the file will be copied.

Ubuntu ssh client - screenshot thumbnail with Secure Copy Protocol support.

Example: In my case, I have chosen one remote server for transferring the file.

Here I have selected a zip file to copy.

Output

And the output will look like this if there is no error in connecting to a remote server.

Ubuntu terminal - screenshot thumbnail with Secure Copy Protocol integration.

Example

This is just the sample output in my case.

Timestamp varies depending on connection speed.

Here, I mentioned the whole directory to copy the files.

A screenshot of a secure copy protocol transfer in an Ubuntu terminal.

Source and destination paths are the same as before.

Here, I have tried with a .png extension.

you’ve got the option to use any port you want.

A screenshot of a computer screen displaying a file transfer using Secure Copy Protocol.

The source and destination address are the same as explained previously.

The sample output will look like this.

The output will look like this.

Ubuntu terminal - Secure Copy Protocol.

The old and new file extensions should be the same while executing this command.

This command also preserves symbolic links during the copy.

This command directly transfers file.txt from remotehost1 to remotehost2.

A screenshot demonstrating the Secure Copy Protocol implemented in a python script on a pc.

In this case, the warning pop-up suggests that the SSH connection to the source server was refused.

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol.SFTP stands for File Transfer Protocol.

Conclusion

I hope you found this article helpful in learning about SCP and how it works.

Ubuntu terminal - screenshot thumbnail featuring Secure Copy Protocol.

You may also be interested in learning about theLinux Commandsfor System Administrator

Ubuntu terminal - screenshot thumbnail with Secure Copy Protocol.

A secure screenshot of a python program on a phone utilizing the Secure Copy Protocol.

Ubuntu terminal - screenshot thumbnail using Secure Copy Protocol for file transfer.

Ubuntu terminal - screenshot thumbnail for Secure Copy Protocol.

A screenshot of a computer screen displaying a Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) session with a list of files.