Security

Tired of managing separate logins for every self-hosted service? Authentik gives you enterprise-grade Single Sign-On (SSO) for your home lab—one login for everything. This guide shows you how to set up Authentik with Docker Compose and connect your services in minutes. What is Authentik? Authentik is an open-source identity provider (IdP) that centralizes authentication for all your self-hosted services. It supports OAuth2, SAML, LDAP, and has a built-in proxy for apps without SSO support. ...

Want to securely access your home server and self-hosted services from anywhere? WireGuard is a modern, fast, and easy-to-configure VPN that’s perfect for home server setups. In this guide, I’ll walk you through setting up WireGuard from scratch. Why WireGuard? WireGuard has become the go-to VPN solution for self-hosters because: Fast: Uses state-of-the-art cryptography and minimal code Simple: Configuration files are just a few lines Lightweight: Runs efficiently on even low-power devices Secure: Modern encryption (ChaCha20, Curve25519, BLAKE2) Cross-platform: Works on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Compared to OpenVPN or IPsec, WireGuard is significantly easier to set up and maintain. ...

Tired of trusting your passwords to third-party services? Vaultwarden (formerly Bitwarden_RS) lets you run your own password manager with full Bitwarden client compatibility. Your passwords stay on your server, under your control. In this guide, we’ll set up Vaultwarden using Docker with HTTPS and automatic backups. Why Vaultwarden? Bitwarden compatible — Use official Bitwarden apps on all devices Lightweight — Runs on minimal hardware (even Raspberry Pi) Full featured — Organizations, attachments, 2FA, and more Free — All premium Bitwarden features at no cost Self-hosted — Your data never leaves your server Prerequisites A server running Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, etc.) Docker and Docker Compose installed A domain name (required for HTTPS) Basic command line knowledge Step 1: Install Docker If you don’t have Docker installed: ...

SSL Certificates for Self-Hosted Services: Complete Guide to HTTPS Running self-hosted services over plain HTTP is risky. Passwords, session cookies, and personal data travel in cleartext, vulnerable to interception. HTTPS encrypts everything. With free SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt, there’s no excuse to skip it. This guide covers three ways to get SSL certificates for your home server: Nginx Proxy Manager - Easiest, GUI-based Caddy - Automatic HTTPS, zero config Certbot - Manual, maximum control Why SSL Certificates Matter Without HTTPS Passwords visible - Anyone on your network sees login credentials Session hijacking - Attackers steal cookies, impersonate you MITM attacks - Traffic can be intercepted and modified Browser warnings - “Not Secure” labels scare users Modern features broken - Service workers, webcam access, etc. require HTTPS With HTTPS End-to-end encryption - Data scrambled between browser and server Authentication - Certificate proves you’re talking to the right server Trust indicators - Green padlock in browser Full feature support - PWAs, geolocation, notifications work Compliance - Required for many services (OAuth, payment processing) Prerequisites 1. Domain Name You need a domain pointing to your server. Let’s Encrypt validates domain ownership. ...

How to Set Up Fail2ban: Protect Your Server from Brute-Force Attacks If you expose your home server to the internet, automated attacks will find it. Within minutes of opening SSH or a web service, bots start hammering your server with login attempts. Fail2ban is your automated security guard. It monitors logs for suspicious activity (repeated failed logins, exploit attempts) and automatically bans offending IP addresses via firewall rules. In this guide, you’ll learn to install and configure Fail2ban to protect SSH, web services, and more. ...

VPN Options for Accessing Your Home Server Remotely You’ve built an amazing home server with Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, and more. Now you want to access it securely from anywhere—coffee shops, hotels, your phone’s LTE connection. The solution: VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and your home network, letting you access everything as if you were sitting at home. In this guide, we’ll compare the top VPN options for self-hosters and walk through setup for each. ...

Securing Your Home Server: Essential Steps Every Self-Hoster Should Take Running a home server gives you control over your data and services, but it also makes you responsible for security. Unlike managed cloud services, you are the sysadmin. One misconfiguration could expose your personal data, family photos, or entire network to attackers. The good news? Securing a home server isn’t rocket science. Follow these essential steps and you’ll be miles ahead of most self-hosters. ...