Cerberus FTP Server
Active Directory Integration
Features > Account Management > AD Integration
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Cerberus FTP Server is able to authenticate users against a domain’s Active Directory (AD) database. Active Directory is a logical grouping of users and computers in a Windows domain, centrally managed by servers called domain controllers. Our User Manager’s AD integration allows administrators to configure user accounts and security groups within their AD instance and have these settings replicate throughout Cerberus FTP Server, saving administrators significant time and supporting data access compliance.

Support for Primary & Secondary AD Groups

At-a-Glance Group Visualizations
How it Works
Configuring Cerberus to use Active Directory authentication simply requires:
- Enabling the Active Directory authentication setting, and
- Specifying the name of the domain to authenticate against
Users are able to login to the server over FTP, SSH SFTP, or through the HTTP/S web client, using the same username and password they use to log into their workstations on the domain.
For the purpose of access to files and folders, the user has the same access as the Active Directory user with the same name. All operations on the server by the user are carried out while impersonating the Active Directory user so you can be sure NTFS permissions are applied correctly.
What Do I Need to Use Active Directory Authentication?
Your organization will need a Windows Domain Controller running Active Directory. The server running Cerberus FTP Server does not have to be a domain controller and the server can be installed on any machine that is a member of the domain.
If you wish to authenticate against an Active Directory domain without being a member of the domain (for example, a server in the DMZ), you can use LDAP authentication to authenticate your users.
Full Feature List
Protocols
FTP, FTP/S, SFTP, SCP, HTTP/S
Transfer Security
SSH, SSL, FIPS 140-2
MFT Automation
Event, Alert & Sync Tools
Environment
Windows Server, Cloud & Virtual
Access Protection
IP, User & Protocol Restriction Tools
Account Management
AD, LDAP, 2FA & More
Auditing and Reporting
File Access, User and Admin Logging
Administration Tools
API, Sync Manager, & Other Tools
Industry Solutions
Cerberus FTP Server Editions
Standard
- FTP/S Server
- SOAP control API
- IP auto-banning
- User groups
- Web administration
- Virtual directories
$499 | 1 Yr Maintenance
Professional
- SFTP server
- AD/LDAP integration
- FIPS-140-2
- Public key authentication
- Client certificate verification
- Server replication
$899 | 1 Yr Maintenance

Enterprise
- MFT server
- HTTPS web client
- Event automation
- Email alerts
- File retention policies
- Ad-hoc sharing
$2,199 | 1 Yr Maintenance
Raved and Reviewed
Here’s what a few of our many satisfied customers have to say about Cerberus FTP Server.
“Our users have found Cerberus to be straightforward. We have handled many service tickets over the past three years, and Cerberus has had the least number of issues, by far.”
“We’ve been using Cerberus for at least five years, and it’s been awesome. Everything’s been very simple and easy, and we haven’t come across any limitations. It always just seems to work.”
“It’s not designed to be complicated, and it doesn’t need to be managed. I can hire someone new and they can be up to speed in minutes. Everyone on the team loves it.”
Latest News
Redwood Software Acquires Cerberus FTP Server to Extend Leadership in Delivering Secure File Transfer Automation Solutions
FRISCO, TX – February 1, 2023 – Redwood Software, the industry leader in full stack automation, today announced its acquisition of Cerberus, a leading secure file transfer provider that serves some of the largest global organizations. Following Redwood’s recent...
What is the difference between FIPS 140-2 and 140-3?
The U.S. federal government's transition to the FIPS 140-3 cryptography standard has begun, with NIST announcing that all FIPS 140-2 certificates will be retired in September 2026. Cerberus FTP Server versions 12.11 and higher have moved to OpenSSL 3, which will...
FTPS vs. FTPES: Which Should You Use?
Two types of secure FTP exist: FTPS and FTPES. While they are both built on the same protocol, FTPS and FTPES have subtle differences that make them better for different scenarios. In this blog, we’ll compare the differences between FTPS and FTPES to help you make an...