i usually use SCP or SSH+TAR to do stuff like this. of course, this won't work for everyone since not all ISPs are clueful enough to offer SSH access, but you'd be surprised how many are beginning to do so, or would if they just knew it was cost-effective (read: OpenSSH).

as jjhorner said, gaggio's method is an example of "Security by Obscurity", which works to the extent that no one finds anything while poking around in the dark with a flashlight (and believe me, there is a flashlight for every manner of obscurity). solutions correctly employing strong cryptography are the way to go if you want security more worthy of your faith.