Cable’s SFTP integration allows you to deliver data files directly to a dedicated, secure SFTP server. Once uploaded, Cable automatically processes your files and loads the data into your dedicated dataset for assurance checks.

This guide walks you through connecting to Cable’s SFTP server, configuring SSH key authentication, preparing your data files, and optionally encrypting them with PGP.

How It Works

You upload CSV data files to Cable’s SFTP server using SSH key authentication. Cable processes the files automatically — validating, transforming, and loading the data into your dedicated dataset. Your data is stored in isolation on a dedicated, secure directory.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• SFTP connection details from the Cable team (hostname and username)
• An SSH key pair (see Step 1 below if you don’t have one)
• Your data files in CSV format
• (Optional) A PGP key pair if you want to encrypt files before upload

Step 1: Generate Your SSH Key Pair

Cable uses SSH public key authentication for SFTP connections.

Generate a new key pair

If you don’t already have an SSH key pair for this integration, generate one:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "yourorg-cable-sftp" -f ~/.ssh/cable_sftp

This creates two files:

• ~/.ssh/cable_sftp — your private key (keep this secret, never share it)
• ~/.ssh/cable_sftp.pub — your public key (share this with Synctera support)

Share your public key with Synctera support

Send the contents of your public key file to Synctera support:

cat ~/.ssh/cable_sftp.pub

The output looks like: ssh-ed25519 AAAA... yourorg-cable-sftp

Step 2: Connect to Cable’s SFTP Server

Connection details

The Cable team will provide:

Test your connection

sftp -i ~/.ssh/cable_sftp -P 22 youruser@your-cable-hostname

A successful connection shows the sftp> prompt. Type exit to disconnect.

Verify the server’s host key

On your first connection, your SFTP client will prompt you to verify the server’s host key fingerprint. Contact Synctera support to confirm the fingerprint matches before accepting. This protects against man-in-the-middle attacks.

Step 3: Prepare Your Data Files

File format

Cable accepts CSV files with the following requirements:

• UTF-8 encoding
• Header row with column names
• One record per line
• Standard CSV escaping (quote fields containing commas or newlines)

File naming

Use descriptive filenames that include the data type and date:

accounts_comprehensive_2025-06-15.csv
transactions_daily_2025-06-15.csv

Folder structure

Upload files directly to your SFTP root directory, or organise them into subdirectories. Contact Synctera support to confirm the expected folder structure during onboarding.

Step 4: PGP Encryption (Optional)

If your security policy requires file-level encryption in addition to SSH transport encryption, you can PGP-encrypt your files before uploading. Cable will automatically detect and decrypt PGP-encrypted files.

How to encrypt a file

1. Obtain Cable’s PGP public key from Synctera support
2. Import the key into your PGP keyring
3. Encrypt your CSV files before uploading:

gpg --encrypt --recipient "Cable" --output accounts_2025-06-15.csv.pgp accounts_2025-06-15.csv

4. Upload the .pgp file via SFTP (Cable strips the .pgp extension after decryption)

Step 5: Upload and Verify

Upload files

Connect to the SFTP server and upload your files:

sftp -i ~/.ssh/cable_sftp youruser@your-cable-hostname
sftp> put accounts_comprehensive_2025-06-15.csv
sftp> put transactions_daily_2025-06-15.csv
sftp> exit

For batch uploads, you can use mput or script the upload:

sftp -i ~/.ssh/cable_sftp -b - youruser@your-cable-hostname <<EOF
put accounts_comprehensive_2025-06-15.csv
put transactions_daily_2025-06-15.csv
EOF

Verify receipt

After uploading, contact Synctera support to confirm the files were received and processed successfully.

Data Processing

After upload, Cable automatically:

1. Validates your files (format, encoding, structure)
2. Parses your CSV files using the header row to identify columns — no schema configuration is required on your end
3. Loads the data into your dedicated dataset, where it is available for automated assurance checks

The Cable team will confirm when data appears in your dataset and walk you through the available assurance checks.

If Cable cannot process a file (for example, due to encoding errors or missing headers), the Cable team will notify you with details about the issue so you can correct and re-upload.

Automating File Delivery

Once your integration is tested and working, you can automate file delivery using any SFTP client or scheduled job:

• Cron + sftp/scp: Schedule uploads from a Linux/macOS server
• Managed file transfer (MFT): Tools like GoAnywhere, Globalscape, or Axway
• Verafin / other platforms: Configure your platform’s SFTP export to point at Cable’s server

Ensure your automation uses the same SSH key and targets the correct hostname and username.

Common Questions

What happens if I upload the same file twice?

Cable deduplicates data during processing. Re-uploading a file will not create duplicate records in your dataset.

What if an upload fails partway through?

Re-upload the file. Cable processes complete files only — partial uploads are ignored.

Is there a file size limit?

There is no hard limit, but files over 1 GB may take longer to process. If you regularly produce very large files, talk to Synctera support about splitting them into smaller batches.

Can I upload from multiple systems?

Yes. You can connect from any system that has your SSH private key. Use the same username and key pair for all connections.

How do I correct data after uploading?

Upload a new file with the corrected data and notify Synctera support.