TIGHTEN REMOTE ACCESS SECURITY
Applications and services such as Plex are simple and relatively safe to set up for remote access, although it pays to keep an eye on any reported vulnerabilities, then disable the service until they have been patched.
One of the reasons they’re safer is that you can only access them with your user credentials using an app or specific web address (such as Plex Media Player and plex.tv/web). They can’t then leverage that connection to do anything else.
Other services, such as logging on to your NAS or even your router are trickier because anyone with a web browser and knowledge of your IP address or DNS address can attempt to log on, or brute-force their way, to your device.
If you’re opening up a device for outside access, you’ll almost certainly want to use a dynamic DNS (or DDNS) address — effectively a user-friendly web address that points to your computer’s public IP address — to make logging on easier. Start by signing up for an address using a provider such as No-IP.com ( www.no-ip.
com) or similar. Link this to your device via its configuration utility, but then take additional steps to add multiple layers of security to the connection.
First, look to force an encrypted (HTTPS) connection to the device in your device settings, then aim to back this up with an SSL certificate for your DDNS address — for example, QNAP enables you to purchase its own low-cost SSL certificate, or quickly add a free certificate from Let’s Encrypt ( letsencrypt.org). Be sure to switch on two-step verification if it’s offered, and enable ‘Network Access Protection’ to block IP addresses for set periods of time (or permanently) after a set number of unsuccessful login attempts.
One last thing: ask yourself if you really need to access this device outside of your network — if you don’t need to log on when you’re away from home, disable all remote access.