Capterra Glossary
Common Internet File System (CIFS)
Common internet file system (CIFS) is an open-source protocol. It allows files and printers to be shared through the internet or corporate intranet. CIFS has always been built into the Windows operating system. However, its cross-platform compatibility supports Linux, Unix, and other operating systems.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About Common Internet File System (CIFS)
Using CIFS, small to midsize businesses can access various systems on a network. For example, files on a Linux or Unix server can’t be accessed by a Windows server without CIFS. Nowadays, SMB (server message block) is the modern protocol most often used for file and printer sharing. CIFS must be enabled in newer versions of Windows when needed.