Setting Up a Secure Hosted SFTP Server for Your Business

Published {$created} by Carsten Blum

Migrating from a self-hosted FTP server to a managed SFTP solution offers significant benefits for small businesses: enhanced security, improved reliability, and reduced administrative overhead. This checklist outlines the steps involved in setting up a hosted SFTP server using ftpGrid.

1. Account Creation and Basic Configuration

• Sign Up: Begin by creating an account at ftpGrid.com. The free tier offers 512MB of storage to evaluate the service.
• Choose a Plan: Review the pricing page to select a plan that meets your storage and bandwidth requirements.
• Create SFTP Accounts: Add SFTP accounts for your users. ftpGrid supports up to 500 accounts per customer. Consider implementing key-based authentication (see step 2) for increased security.
• Configure Quotas: Set storage and bandwidth limits per user. This prevents any single user from consuming excessive resources and impacting overall performance.

2. Secure Authentication: SSH Keys vs. Passwords

• Avoid Passwords: Passwords are inherently less secure. ftpGrid.com discourages password-based authentication.
• Generate SSH Keys: Create an SSH key pair on each client machine. ftpGrid.com provides detailed instructions.
• Add Public Keys: Upload the public keys to the corresponding SFTP accounts within your ftpGrid dashboard.
• Disable Password Authentication: For maximum security, disable password authentication entirely in your ftpGrid account settings.

3. Testing and Client Configuration

• Client Software: Choose an SFTP client like FileZilla, WinSCP, or lftp. ftpGrid.com provides guidance on using common clients.
• Connection Details: Obtain your SFTP hostname (edgeN.ftpgrid.com), username, and SSH key.
• Verify Connectivity: Attempt to connect to your SFTP server using the chosen client. Ensure file uploads and downloads function correctly.
• Automated Backups (Optional): Integrate your SFTP server with backup software. ftpGrid.com and ftpGrid.com show how to use Duplicati for backups.