Why Server Security Matters
Running a home lab is amazing — but the moment you expose ports to the internet, your server becomes a target for bots, scanners, and automated attacks.
In my setup (Fedora, Raspberry Pi, CasaOS), security is not optional. It’s part of the workflow.
1. Enforcing Strong SSH Security
One of the first things I configured was SSH hardening:
SSH on a custom port
Only key-based login
Password authentication disabled
DenyUsersrules for extra protectionAuto-blocking with fail2ban
After enabling these, login attempts dropped drastically.
2. Real-Time Intrusion Alerts
Using my Telegram bot, I created automations that instantly alert me when:
Someone logs in via SSH
A login attempt fails too many times
The server restarts
A container stops or restarts
This makes the system feel “alive” — like a real monitoring platform.
3. Firewall & Network Segmentation
I configured:
UFW with strict allow/deny rules
Open ports only for services I actively use
Separate VLAN for IoT devices
WireGuard for encrypted remote access
This reduces attack exposure dramatically.
4. Automated Security Scans
A daily cron script checks:
system updates
package vulnerabilities
disk integrity
CPU temperature spikes
failed service logs
Anything unusual is pushed to Telegram instantly.
5. Why I Built This System
Because I love automation, security, and smart dashboards.
My goal is a fully self-healing system — something that fixes or alerts itself without me checking manually.
This blog post is a summary of the tools and techniques that help keep my servers stable and secure 24/7.