What is CIFS?

CIFS (Common Internet File System) is a network file sharing protocol, a dialect of SMB (Server Message Block). It's used to provide file access and resource sharing services over a network, allowing applications on computers to access files on remote servers. CIFS is most commonly associated with Windows-based systems, though it's also implemented on other operating systems like Linux (e.g., via Samba) to facilitate interoperability.