FTP transmits passwords in cleartext, SFTP requires CLI knowledge, classic MFT tools are IT-only and expensive. Conbool SecureFiles is secure file transfer that every employee operates from Outlook, with Entra ID authentication, GDPR Art. 30 audit log and EU hosting.
Conbool SecureFiles replaces FTP with a direct line between two endpoints. Entra ID for authentication, encryption in transit and on demand client-side, audit log out of the box.
Outlook add-in for Classic, New and Web. Employees stay in their familiar workflow.
Entra ID SSO instead of FTP credentials. No more orphaned accounts.
Central audit log per GDPR Art. 30, SIEM export.
Seven points from real ad hoc employee transfer.
Conbool SecureFiles | FTP / SFTP | |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Entra ID, SSO | FTP: cleartext password, SFTP: key file |
| Transport | TLS plus optional E2E | FTP: none, SFTP: yes |
| Audit log | Central, GDPR Art. 30 | Server logs only, fragmented |
| End-user client | Outlook add-in plus web | FileZilla, WinSCP, CLI |
| Scaling | SaaS, elastic | Own server, capacity bound |
| Audience | Every employee | IT and power users |
| Maintenance burden | Zero, SaaS | Patches, upgrades, certificate rotation |
As of 2026. Statements about FTP and SFTP are based on RFC 959 and publicly available documentation of common server implementations.
FTP transmits authentication in cleartext. In public WiFi and compromised segments a compliance risk. Conbool replaces it with Entra ID SSO, TLS and on demand client-side encryption.
FTP, RFC 959
Defined in 1985, no TLS, no audit. Cleartext authentication.
Conbool TLS and beyond
TLS 1.3 in transit, optional client-side zero-knowledge. Key derivation never server-side.
Entra ID SSO
Authentication via Microsoft Entra ID. No separate FTP credential lists, automatic deprovisioning when AD removes a user.
State-of-the-art conformance
GDPR Art. 32 demands appropriate state of the art. FTP no longer meets this in 2026, Conbool documents it in the GDPR Art. 30 record.
Typical FTP retirement projects split into three steps: ad hoc employee transfers move to Conbool, automated B2B handover stays temporarily on SFTP or MFT, phase 2 replaces those later via API.
Use-case inventory
Ad hoc employee sending vs automated B2B handover are recorded separately.
Employee transfers first
Around 80 percent of FTP use cases are ad hoc employee sending. Those move first to the Outlook add-in.
B2B via SFTP plus roadmap
Automated handovers stay on SFTP initially. Conbool API in phase 2 replaces them gradually.
Switch off the FTP server
After 30 days of parallel operation the own FTP server is shut down. The TCO calculation often fully offsets the Conbool license.
GDPR Art. 30 demands a record of all processing activities including data transfers. FTP server logs are usually insufficient, fragmented and not exportable. Conbool delivers a central audit log out of the box.
Who, what, when, where to
Per transfer the sender, recipient, file size, encryption mode and expiry date are logged.
SIEM export
Logs export as JSON or CEF. Splunk, Sentinel, Elastic and Datadog compatible.
Configurable retention
Audit log retention is configurable per tenant, from 90 days to 10 years.
Instant lookup
On a GDPR access request, a recipient or sender can be filtered in seconds.
DSGVO-konformer Dateiversand aus der EU, ohne CLOUD-Act-Risiko.
Modulare deutsche Alternative mit echtem Zero-Knowledge.
Verschlüsselter Dateiversand nach Art. 32 DSGVO und NIS-2.
Dateien sicher empfangen — persönlicher Upload-Link für Externe.
Outlook-Anhang zu groß? Direkt aus Outlook verschlüsselt versenden.
30-day pilot. Migration playbook included. Entra ID integration in hours.
Statements about FTP are based on RFC 959, statements about SFTP on RFC 4253. Statements about classic MFT tools are based on publicly available product descriptions 2024 to 2026. Statements about Conbool are based on its own product documentation and ISO-27001 infrastructure certification.
GoAnywhere, IBM Sterling, MOVEit and other named products are trademarks of their respective owners. Conbool is a trademark of Conbool GmbH. All statements without warranty of continued accuracy.
No maintenance, no server patches, no certificate rotation.