SFTP Storage Backend Checklist for Engineers

Published {$created} by Carsten Blum

Leveraging SFTP as a storage backend offers a robust and secure approach for various applications. Here's a practical checklist for engineers considering ftpGrid for this purpose, focusing on setup, security, and operational considerations.

1. Initial Configuration and Account Setup

• Protocol Selection: Confirm SFTP is the desired protocol. While ftpGrid supports FTP and FTPS, SFTP (FTP over SSH) provides the strongest security. See our features page for a full protocol comparison.
• Account Creation: Create user accounts via the dashboard. Consider the number of users required, bearing in mind the account limits. Review pricing to determine the appropriate tier.
• Authentication Methods: Prioritize SSH key-based authentication (SSH-ED25519 is recommended, followed by SSH-RSA, ECDSA-SHA2-NISTP256). Password authentication is supported but strongly discouraged.
• Quotas & Bandwidth Limits: Implement per-user storage and bandwidth quotas to manage resource usage and prevent abuse. This can be done through the dashboard.
• Connectivity Test: Verify connectivity from your application servers to edgeN.ftpgrid.com using an SFTP client like sftp or lftp. Confirm the user accounts work as expected.
• Integration Planning: Evaluate how the SFTP backend integrates with existing workflows. Consider potential dependencies and implications.

2. Security Considerations & Best Practices

• Firewall Rules: Configure firewall rules to restrict access to the SFTP server to authorized IP addresses. Minimize the attack surface.
• Key Management: Implement secure key management practices. Store SSH keys securely, and rotate keys periodically.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): While not directly supported, consider implementing 2FA at the application level when accessing data from the SFTP backend.
• Audit Logging: Leverage the detailed audit logging capabilities provided by ftpGrid to track file access and modifications. Review the activity timeline regularly.
• Data Encryption: Understand that data is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.3) by default.
• Compliance: If your application requires specific compliance standards (e.g., GDPR), review the relevant documentation on our site.

3. Operational Aspects & Advanced Features

• API Integration: Utilize the SFTP API for programmatic access and automation. See our documentation on FTP cloud storage for more information.
• External Backups: Configure external backups (to S3 or Dropbox) for disaster recovery. See our documentation about backup storage for details.
• Monitoring & Alerting: Monitor storage and bandwidth usage via the dashboard graphs. Set up alerting for unusual activity.
• Data Isolation: Understand that each customer's data is isolated within separate containers, ensuring data security and privacy.
• CDN for Downloads: Static downloads and HTTPS shares are served via a global CDN, providing fast download speeds globally. This is particularly useful if you’d like to offer your customers fast file downloads.