OVERVIEW

The client is a leading payment gateway company that facilitates secure online transactions for a wide range of merchants and customers globally. Their business relies heavily on maintaining the security, availability, and compliance of their payment processing infrastructure.

PROJECT INFO

The project involved migrating a payment gateway company's infrastructure from CentOS to Ubuntu on Azure, achieving PCI DSS certification, and setting up NFS for shared storage. Technologies included self-hosted GitLab, Jenkins for CI/CD, MySQL with master- slave replication, Icinga for monitoring, Postman SMTP for email, and Azure's snapshot for compute engine backups.

OBJECTIVES

• Migrate infrastructure to Ubuntu on Azure while maintaining operational continuity and security.
• Obtain and maintain PCI DSS certification, ensuring compliance with comprehensive security requirements including Anti-Virus, NTP (Chrony), robust patch management, and secure API management.
• Configure NFS for reliable and scalable shared storage to support current and future data requirements, including centralized log management.
• Deploy robust monitoring with Icinga, OSSEC, and ensure efficient use of Memcache and RabbitMQ for enhanced application performance and scalability.

CHALLENGES

• The primary challenge was migrating the infrastructure from CentOS to Ubuntu due to CentOS end-of-life, requiring seamless transition without disrupting services.
• Achieving PCI DSS compliance, including implementing Anti-Virus solutions, NTP (Chrony) for time synchronization, and enhancing patch management practices.
• Setting up NFS for scalable shared storage across Azure instances to support growing data needs, including log management.
• Implementing effective monitoring in a private subnet environment using Icinga.
• Ensuring secure API management and gateway functionality with Kong API Gateway.
• Optimizing Memcache for caching and RabbitMQ for efficient message queuing.

SOLUTION:

• ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING:
  • Conducted thorough assessment of existing infrastructure and PCI DSS requirements.
  • Developed migration strategy and compliance roadmap.
• PCI DSS IMPLEMENTATION:
  • Implemented Anti-Virus software on all systems handling cardholder data to detect and protect against malware.
  • Deployed NTP (Chrony) service for accurate time synchronization across all servers to ensure consistency in logs and transaction timestamps.
  • Enhanced patch management practices by implementing automated patch deployment and regular vulnerability assessments to mitigate security risks.
  • Implemented OSSEC for intrusion detection and real-time security monitoring across the infrastructure.
• NFS SETUP FOR LOGS AND STORAGE:
  • Configured Azure File Storage for NFS to establish scalable and reliable shared storage.
  • Created dedicated NFS shares for centralized log storage, ensuring secure and efficient log management across all infrastructure components.
  • Implemented access controls and encryption on NFS shares to protect sensitive log data from unauthorized access.
• INTEGRATION OF MEMCACHE AND RABBITMQ:
  • Optimized Memcache for caching frequently accessed data to improve application performance and response times.
  • Implemented RabbitMQ for asynchronous message queuing, enhancing scalability and reliability of transaction processing.

Implementation

• INFRASTRUCTURE MIGRATION TO UBUNTU:
  • Utilized Azure migration tools and scripts to smoothly transition from CentOS to Ubuntu, ensuring compatibility and minimal downtime.
  • Conducted thorough testing and validation post-migration to verify system integrity and functionality.
• PCI DSS COMPLIANCE IMPLEMENTATION:
  • Installed and configured Anti-Virus software across all endpoints and servers handling payment data.
  • Deployed and configured NTP (Chrony) service on all servers to synchronize time accurately.
  • Established automated patch management processes using tools integrated with CI/CD pipelines to ensure timely updates.
  • Implemented OSSEC for continuous security monitoring and intrusion detection, enhancing threat detection capabilities.
• NFS SETUP FOR LOGS AND STORAGE:
  • Provisioned Azure File Storage and configured NFS shares with appropriate permissions and encryption.
  • Integrated NFS shares with existing logging infrastructure to centralize and secure log storage.
  • Implemented backup and disaster recovery procedures for NFS data to ensure data integrity and availability.
• OPTIMIZATION OF MEMCACHE AND RABBITMQ:
  • Tuned Memcache and RabbitMQ configurations for optimal performance and scalability.
  • Implemented monitoring and alerting for Memcache and RabbitMQ to ensure proactive management and rapid issue resolution.
• CI/CD PIPELINE::
  • Managed code in Git repositories hosted on GitLab.
  • Set up Jenkine Pipeline to automate the build, test, and deployment process.
  • Employed rolling deployment strategies to minimize downtime and risk during deployments.
• MONITORING AND ALERTING:
  • Collected metrics and logs using loki prometheus and and grafana for monitoring containerized applications and infrastructure.
  • Monitored Vm’s metrics to ensure optimal performance.
  • Configured Icinga to trigger alerts and integrated with telegram for notifications.

RESULTS:

• OUTCOMES:
  • Successfully migrated infrastructure to Ubuntu on Azure, maintaining high availability and security.
  • Achieved PCI DSS compliance, demonstrating adherence to stringent security standards and protecting cardholder data.
  • Improved scalability and efficiency with NFS setup for centralized log management and shared storage.
  • Enhanced monitoring capabilities with Icinga, OSSEC, and efficient use of Memcache and RabbitMQ, enabling proactive detection and resolution of issues.

Key Takeaways

• Best Practices:
  • Adopting Agile methodologies facilitates flexibility and responsiveness in infrastructure management and compliance projects.
  • Automating patch management and implementing robust access controls enhance security and compliance readiness.
  • Regular audits and updates to security policies and procedures ensure ongoing protection against evolving threats.

Client Feedback

The project has significantly strengthened our infrastructure’s security and compliance posture. The implementation of PCI DSS requirements, NFS setup, and integration of Kong API Gateway, Memcache, and RabbitMQ has been instrumental in enhancing our operational efficiency and data protection.

Conclusion

• The project successfully addressed the client's challenges through meticulous planning, effective implementation of PCI DSS requirements, NFS setup for logs and storage, integration of Kong API Gateway, Memcache, and RabbitMQ, and deployment of robust monitoring solutions.

  By migrating to Ubuntu, achieving PCI DSS compliance, optimizing infrastructure with NFS and leveraging advanced technologies like Kong API Gateway, Memcache, and RabbitMQ, the client's payment gateway platform is now more secure, compliant, and scalable.