SilverSHielD 6.0.25.125

Overview

SilverSHielD is a SSH2 and SFTP Server for Microsoft Windows. The application comes with a management console and script editor and supports three different types of authentications: Password, Interactive Keyboard, and public key authentication. SilverSHield also supports other security features such as IP access control, virtual folders, and forced delays for new connection (To fight brute-force attacks and a way to ban IP addresses)

Also with its powerful script editor you’re able to expand on its functionality by being able to detail the way you manage your server. With SilverSHield you’ll be able to create a secure FTP server allowing you to open up access to files and data with trusted sources without all of worry of having your data exposed. The application can be a little daunting at first during your initial setup, but once you become familiar with the application it becomes much easier to manage your server with a clean interface.

SilverSHielD only offers SSHSFTP and does not have FTP on port 21. The free non-commercial version is limited to three concurrent connections, which makes it a useful tool to securely access your local files anymore from a remote computer. It also supports x86 and x64 builds which significantly increase performance with 64 bit operating systems. There is even active directory integration for corporate use. Whether it’s for personal use or your looking to host secure files for your company SilverSHielD is a robust application with a good design that is easy to use.

Installation

If you ever installed a recent Microsoft Office application you may find the installation for SilverSHield to be quite familiar. Though it has a different color pallet and slightly different images, it looks and installs just like any current Office Suite. Also when using the management console for the first time you can use the user name “admin” with no password to login.

Interface

Like the installation, SilverSHielD’s interface looks a lot like an Office 2010 product. In fact the interface is exactly like an Office 2010 product with a file tab that pulls up a side window with license, login, and version information. The rest of the interface is separated into tabs that manage areas like users, blocked IP’s, and monitoring server status. The main tab is where you’ll most likely spend the most of your time in, as that’s where you will configure the servers IP address, port, SMTP, and other advanced settings.

Pros

• Supports password, public key, and interactive keyboard authentications
• Automatic IP address blocking for forced delays and multiple password attempts
• Well laid out interface similar to Microsoft Office making it comfortable to use
• Up to 3 concurrent connections with a free consumer license.

Cons

• Requires setup knowledge of a SFTP server as there is no guide or wizard to help setup your server. Author's note: "But actually SilverSHielD comes with a pretty extensive help file that you can invoke by simply pushing the small light blue help button on the right hand side of the management console (as per Office 2010 ribbon interface design guidelines)."

Alternatives

There are many applications today that help setup and manage FTP servers, so it’s not a bad idea to test the water with a few applications to find what one works best for you. Some other options that support SFTP would be WinSSHD which is a SSH server built for Windows platforms. If you’re looking for a more simple FTP application for file sharing CrushFTP is a strong file transfer server that makes it easy to setup connections with other users. The Crush in the title is due to its compatibility with compressed file formats such as .ZIP.

Conclusion

Though there are a lot of SSH and FTP server applications out there, SilverSHielD does an excellent job at helping you create a secure file transfer system. With its strong resemblance to Microsoft Office it’s also easy to adapt to if you’ve ever used Office 2010 or newer. If your considering setting up a secure file transfer server its worth checking out SilverSHielD’s generous free consumer edition at least.