Secure & Scalable AWS Transfer Family SFTP Solution for a Therapeutics Company
This document details the deployment of an AWS Transfer Family SFTP solution for a therapeutics company, including setup, user management, and security. It leverages AWS services such as S3, Secrets Manager, API Gateway, and Lambda to enable secure file transfers and user authentication. The solution ensures scalable storage and secure access for external parties.
Executive Summary
PTP is a prominent IT services company and an AWS Partner, known for its expertise in managed services and cloud solutions. They specialize in designing and implementing scalable, secure, and high-performance cloud strategies using Amazon Web Services (AWS). Their services include cloud migration, infrastructure management, and optimization, enabling businesses to enhance operational efficiency and agility.
In this case study, we’ll explore how PTP deployed a secure, scalable, and managed file transfer solution using AWS Transfer Family for a therapeutics company. The solution leverages Amazon S3 for storage, AWS Secrets Manager for secure credential management, Amazon API Gateway for custom authentication, and AWS Lambda for user validation.
This solution enables external parties to securely transfer files to and from the company’s S3 buckets over the public internet using the SFTP protocol. The document provides a detailed guide on the setup, configuration, user management, and security considerations for the SFTP solution, ensuring compliance, scalability, and operational efficiency.
Problem Statement
The therapeutics company implemented a secure and scalable AWS SFTP solution to address key challenges:
- Secure File Transfers: AWS Transfer Family ensures encrypted, reliable SFTP transfers over the internet, with S3 providing secure backend storage (SSE-S3).
- User Management: Credentials and access control are managed securely via AWS Secrets Manager, with automated validation through API Gateway and Lambda.
- Compliance: The solution enforces encryption, IP whitelisting, and least privilege IAM roles, while CloudWatch logging ensures auditability.
- Reduced Overheads: Automating user credential management and monitoring minimizes manual intervention.
- Scalability: S3's scalability and AWS Transfer Family allow seamless growth in users and data volumes.
This approach delivers a secure, compliant, and efficient SFTP system integrated into the therapeutics company's AWS infrastructure. These challenges necessitated a cloud-based solution that could handle SFTP protocols, manage user credentials securely, and integrate with existing AWS infrastructure.
Solution Overview
The solution implemented for the therapeutics company included the following key components:
AWS Transfer Family
- A fully managed service that supports secure file transfers using SFTP, FTPS, and FTP protocols.
- Replaces the need for traditional file servers, cutting down on infrastructure management and costs.
- Facilitates secure file uploads and downloads directly to/from Amazon S3, making it ideal for external collaboration.
Amazon S3
- Offers scalable storage to handle growing file sizes and data volumes effortlessly.
- Includes Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3) to ensure data is encrypted at rest for security.
- Versioning feature keeps track of file changes, enabling easy recovery and error management.
AWS Secrets Manager
- Provides a centralized, secure repository for storing sensitive credentials like passwords and SSH keys.
- Data is encrypted at rest and accessed only through authenticated API calls.
- Simplifies credential rotation to meet compliance and security requirements.
Custom Authentication (API Gateway & Lambda)
- API Gateway validates user credentials by invoking a Lambda function, which retrieves data from Secrets Manager.
- Dynamically assigns IAM roles to limit user access to specific S3 directories based on permissions.
- Supports both password and SSH key authentication, with IP whitelisting for added security.
CloudWatch Monitoring
- Tracks and logs all authentication and file transfer activities for visibility and compliance purposes.
- Monitors key metrics such as login attempts and errors to ensure system availability.
- Sends alerts for suspicious activities, enabling quick detection and resolution of potential issues.
Technical Deployment
Password and Credential Management
- Secure Storage: User credentials, including passwords and SSH keys, are securely stored in AWS Secrets Manager using a predefined naming format (
aws/transfer/server-id/username). - Automated Validation: A Lambda function, integrated with API Gateway, dynamically retrieves and validates credentials during login attempts.
- Enhanced Security with IP Whitelisting: The solution includes optional IP whitelisting, restricting access to trusted IP ranges.
Custom Authentication via API Gateway and Lambda
- Request Processing: API Gateway passes login credentials to Lambda, which validates them against Secrets Manager.
- Dynamic Configuration Enforcement: The Lambda function retrieves:
- IAM Roles: Defines user permissions.
- S3 Access Paths: Limits access to specific folders.
- Logical Directory Mappings: Simplifies SFTP navigation.
Protocol-Specific Support
The architecture supports SFTP, FTPS, and FTP protocols, catering to diverse file transfer requirements.
AWS Transfer Family Setup
- Endpoint Configuration: An internet-facing SFTP endpoint is set up with a custom hostname (
sftp.company.com). - Network Security: Uses VPCs, subnets, and security groups to route traffic securely.
Data Storage with Amazon S3
- Dedicated Bucket: Stores all transferred files in a secure S3 bucket (
company-sftp-bucket-01). - Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3): Encrypts data at rest.
- Versioning: Maintains a change history for recovery purposes.
- Cross-Account Access: Implements bucket policies to control external access.
Monitoring and Logging
- CloudWatch Logging: Tracks authentication, file transfers, and system activity.
- Metrics Tracking: Monitors login attempts, errors, and successes.
- Alerts and Notifications: Detects suspicious behavior and triggers alerts.
Security and Compliance Enhancements
- End-to-End Data Encryption: Ensures encryption in transit and at rest.
- Granular IAM Policies: Restricts S3 access to specific users.
- IP Restrictions: Allows access only from approved IPs via Secrets Manager.
Scalability and Efficiency
- Amazon S3 Scalability: Seamlessly handles growing data volumes.
- High Availability: Maintains uptime even with high user activity.
- Automation: Reduces overhead by automating access, validation, and monitoring.
Conclusion
The AWS Transfer Family SFTP solution for the therapeutics company is a robust, secure, and scalable system designed to facilitate file transfers over SFTP while leveraging AWS managed services. The architecture ensures secure authentication, reliable storage, and efficient user management. By integrating services like AWS Secrets Manager, API Gateway, and Lambda, the solution provides a seamless and secure way to manage user access and file transfers. The solution uses Amazon S3 as the backend storage, providing a reliable and scalable place to store transferred files. Additionally, it supports both password-based and SSH key-based authentication, offering flexibility for different user needs. The system is designed with detailed logging and monitoring through CloudWatch, allowing for easy tracking of file transfers and user activity.
Overall, the solution is well-suited for organizations like this therapeutics company that require secure and scalable file transfer capabilities, with the added benefit of AWS's managed services reducing the operational overhead.
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