FTP Login
Most of us log in via FTP using our control panel username and password. This could be considered to be a security risk, and it is always excellent advice to say that you should instead create a new ftp account to use for uploading/downloading and managing web site files. This keeps your control panel username and password safe and the account can be set up to use your default web folder (public_html) only (rather than giving access to the very sensitive root folders and files). Your public_html folder is your web root folder - all requests for anything using a web browser over the Internet is sent to that folder.
So, simply go into the FTP Manager in your cPanel and use the 'FTP Accounts' link to add a new account.
Now click the 'Add FTP Account' link (somewhere in the middle of the page).
Enter a username in the 'Login' box, a password (keep it complex enough not to be easily guessed) in the 'Password' box, enter a quota (if this is for you to manage your site yourself, you can leave this as unlimited since you cannot exceed your set quota anyway) and then enter a / in the 'Directory' box (this gives access to the public_html folder only.
Click the 'Create' button and you are all set. Just use the username and password you set and log into ftp.yourdomain.com (replace the yourdomain part with your actual domain name)- you will see a listing of your public_html folder (your web root folder).
Using FTP with your cPanel password
Not a good thing to do - see above and consider that ftp is not a secure protocol so it could be possible for someone clever enough to get a hold of your cPanel username and password should they be so inclined to do.
If you do use your cPanel username and password, then you will see a number of folders and files, such as ...
.cpaddons
.cpanel-datastore
.trash
etc
public_ftp
public_html
tmp
www
.bash_logout
.bash_profile
.contactemail
.cpanel-logs
.lastlogin
One word of advice - never delete any of these! Each of those folder and files has a function in your hosting account. If you delete any of them, we may have to delete your account and set it up again for you (you may then lose everything that you had). Most of those folders and files contain information on email, stats and system information on your hosting account. If you feel that there may be something there that should not be, then please ask support and they will investigate. Also, never change file or folder permissions on any existing folders in that root directory, again - if you need advice simply ask support.
There may be occasions when you need to add something in the root folder (add to those folders and files above), be careful to not create anything with write permissions, this can create a security vulnerability.
hope this helps, by all means post further advice or questions
