If passwordless keys are at all possible, you could also consider File::Remote.

This is from the example:

use File::Remote qw(:replace);
   # read from a remote file
   open(REMOTE, "host:/remote/file") or die $!;
   print while (<REMOTE>);
   close(REMOTE);

   # writing a local file still works!
   open(LOCAL, ">>/local/file");
   print LOCAL "This is a new line.\n";
   close(LOCAL);

   # Read and write whole files
   my @file = $remote->readfile("host:/remote/file");
   $remote->writefile("/local/file", @file);
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