Secure Copy Protocol (SCP), often referred to simply as Secure Copy, is a protocol for computer systems, which ensures the secure transfer of data between a local computer ( local host ) and a remote computer ( remote host ) or, alternatively, between two remote computers . It is based on the RCP commands , ( remote copy ), which were released in 1982 as part of the? R? Commands. from the University of California (Berkeley). They allow the control of data transmission through the command line..
SCP offers an authentication method between the two computers, as well as transmission encryption . Therefore, the protocol not only guarantees the security, but also the authenticity of the transferred data. In both security mechanisms, the SCP protocol is based on SSH (Secure Shell), which is also used in alternative transmission protocols such as FTP (or SFTP). The TCP port that you use for transfer over SCP is the standard SSH port 22 .
Secure Copy is cross-platform: there are applications and programs for the most popular operating systems, such as Windows , macOS and Linux , as well as for Android and iOS ..