534 policy requires SSL error occurs in FTP when attempting to connect to the website via FTP.

Here at Bobcares, we have seen several such FTP related issues as part of our Server Management Services for web hosts and online service providers.

Today we’ll take a look at the cause for this error and how to fix it.

What causes 534 policy requires SSL FTP error to occur

Before we get into the solution part, let’s see what causes this error to occur.

This error occurs if the passive mode and encrypt data channel is not enabled. If the SSL parameters set for the FTP client are incorrect then this error occurs. For instance, entering an incorrect SSL username will lead to this error even though we have entered the right password.

This error appears as shown below in the image.

How we fix 534 policy requires SSL FTP

Here are the steps that our Support Engineers provide to our customers to get rid of this error.

1. Connecting to the server using TLS

First, we need to connect to the server using TLS. In Filezilla, we have an option to change the settings to use SSL while connecting to the server.

Here are the steps for it.

1. First, start FTP client like Filezilla.
2. Then click on File >> Site Manager. Here are the options that are available and enter them accordingly.
   Host: Mention the IP address or the domain name.
   Encryption: select ‘Require explicit FTP over TLS’.
   Logon Type: select ‘Ask for password’.
   User: specify the user account.
3. After this, click OK and when asked for a password, enter the password.
4. Now, the connection must be successful.

2. Enable the options passive mode and encrypted data channel (FTP over SSL).

How to configure the default SSL options for an FTP server

1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager
2. Click the server name in the Connections pane
3. Double-click the FTP SSL Settings feature in the server’s Home pane.
4. Select the certificate that you are willing to use from the SSL Certificate list,
5. Choose one of the following available options under SSL Policy:

• Allow SSL connections: Allows the FTP server to support both non-SSL and SSL connections with a client.
• Require SSL connections: Requires SSL encryption for communication between the FTP server and a client.
• Custom: Enables you to configure a different SSL encryption policy for the control channel and the data channel. If you choose this option then click on the Advanced… button. After, the Advanced SSL Policy dialog box opens, select the following options:– Select one of the following options for SSL encryption over the control channel that is available under Control Channel :1. Allow: Specifies that SSL is allowed for the control channel
  2. Require: Specifies that SSL is required for the control channel
  3. Require only for credentials: Specifies that only the user credentials have to be sent over SSL session

  – Select one of the following options for SSL encryption over the data channel that is available under Data Channel:

  1. Allow: SSL is allowed for the data channel; an FTP client may use SSL for the data channel, but it is not required.
  2. Require: SSL is required for the data channel; an FTP client may not switch to a non-secure mode of communication for the data channel.
  3. Deny: SSL is denied for the data channel; an FTP client may not use SSL for the data channel.

  – Finally, click OK to close the Advanced SSL Policy dialog box.

• At last, in the Actions pane, click Apply.

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Conclusion

In short, this error occurs in FTP when attempting to connect to the website via FTP Today, we saw the solution to this error.