Azure Firewall – Get Practical

Creating a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) service using an Azure Storage Account offers a cost-effective, scalable, and highly available solution for transferring files. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up an SFTP service on Azure Storage and configuring it to be publicly accessible while focusing on the most secure options.

Step 1: Create an Azure Storage Account

1.1 Sign in to Azure Portal

Go to the Azure Portal and sign in with your Azure account.

1.2 Create a New Storage Account

In the Azure portal, select Create a resource > Storage > Storage account.
In the "Basics" tab, configure the storage account:
- Subscription: Select your subscription.
- Resource group: Create a new resource group or select an existing one.
- Storage account name: Enter a unique name for your storage account.
- Region: Select the region closest to you.
- Performance: Choose Standard.
- Redundancy: Choose the redundancy option that fits your needs (e.g., Locally-redundant storage (LRS)).
In the "Advanced" tab, configure the storage account:

Hierarchical Namespace: Enable hierarchical namespace.
Access Protocols: Enable SFTP.

Click Review + create and then Create.

Continue reading “How to Create a Secure SFTP Service Using Azure Storage Account and Make It Publicly Accessible”

Hub-and-spoke topology in Azure is a network configuration that uses a central hub to connect multiple spokes. The hub is a virtual network (VNet) that acts as a central point of connectivity to many spoke VNets. The spokes are VNets that peer with the hub and can be used to isolate workloads while sharing services protected by the hub. This topology simplifies network management and reduces the potential for costly network traffic charges by keeping traffic within the Azure network.

Benefits of Hub-and-Spoke Topology

Centralized Management: Centralized resources like network virtual appliances and gateways in the hub.
Cost-effective: Reduces the need for redundant connections, thus minimizing costs.
Security: Centralized security services like firewalls or intrusion detection systems.
Isolation: Spokes can be used to isolate workloads, environments, or applications.
Scalability: Easy to add new spokes as the organization grows.

Components of the Hub-and-Spoke Topology

Hub Virtual Network: Contains shared services like Azure Firewall, VPN Gateway, and Azure Bastion.
Spoke Virtual Networks: Contains resources such as virtual machines (VMs) and are connected to the hub via VNet peering.
VPN Gateway: Connects on-premises networks to the Azure VNet.
Azure Firewall: Provides a centralized, network-level protection.
Azure Monitor: Monitors the health and connectivity of the network.
DDoS Protection: Protects the Azure resources from DDoS attacks.

Continue reading “Implementing a Secure and Scalable Hub-and-Spoke Network Topology in Azure with Terraform”