Secure Self-Hosting with Cloudflare Tunnels and Docker: Zero Trust Security

Self-hosting offers autonomy and learning opportunities but necessitates robust security measures. Exposing a home network increases vulnerability to attacks, especially through open ports and public IP addresses. DNS reveals the home IP, making it a target for DDoS attacks. Cloudflare provides basic protection, acting as a reverse proxy and mitigating DDoS attempts. However, traditional Cloudflare still requires open ports and doesn't fully address dynamic IP issues. Cloudflare Tunnels offer a zero-trust solution, creating an outbound-only connection to the Cloudflare network. This eliminates the need for open ports, resolves dynamic IP problems, and improves security. The cloudflared daemon, easily integrated with Docker and Docker Compose, establishes this secure tunnel. This setup simplifies management and enhances security for self-hosted applications. Accompanying YouTube videos provide detailed instructions and explanations. The author, a software engineer, shares expertise on self-hosting and related technologies.