Network Attached Storage devices are all the rage these days, but I’ve been using them for well over a decade at this point. I’ve got multiple boxes sitting on a shelf in my study, holding backups, family photos, my ever-expanding library of media, while also acting as my home server. It’s easy to assume that just because the box is sitting in my home or desk, it’s perfectly safe. I used to think that as long as there’s no unauthorised access to my home internet network, I shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Turns out, I was wrong.
Learning how to harden your NAS can be annoying, but it pays off in peace of mind.
You see, a modern NAS is not just a hard drive with a network cable; it is a fully functional server. Once you start enabling features that make a NAS useful, like remote streaming or file sharing, you are effectively opening it up to wide open internet and that means its time for you to start acting as your own IT department. The moment remote access enters the picture, your local-first device becomes a prime target for anyone with an internet connection and bad intentions. Here is how I learned to harden my NAS and why I treat it like the most vulnerable device in my house.
