Summary: Create a SSL Port tunnel with Putty
Date: Around 2011
Refactor: 4 January 2025: Checked links and formatting.

• Target: Access a SFTP Server which is only accessible by a production box.
• Production Box: AIX with SSH/SSL capabilities, login is possible.
• SFTP Server: Login credentials are available.
• Used Tools: Putty for the tunnel, WinSCP to connect

• Open and load the putty profile of the server who is able to access the sftp server.
• Go to Connection → SSH → Tunnels
• Fill in the Source Port, any port that's not in use and above the 1024 will do.
• Fill in the Destination address, and add the port the sftp server is listening on. This is typically port 22, so: <ipaddress>:22
• Check the Local and the IPv4 buttons
• And click Add:

• Open WinSCP and create a new session.
• As hostname, fill in localhost.
• As portnumber, fill in the portnumber as configured in the 'Create A Tunnel' section.
• Click Save:

You should now login to the production box using putty, so the tunnel is created. After logging in you can start winscp to use the created session to log into the sftp server.