Anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

A method for downloading public files using the File Transfer Protocol. Anonymous FTP is called anonymous because users do not provide credentials before accessing files from a particular server. In general, users enter the word “anonymous” when the host prompts for a username; anything can be entered for the password, such as the user’s email address or simply the word “guest. ” In many cases, an anonymous FTP site will not even prompt for a name and password.