Secure SSL configuration for Nginx

Here is a handy snippet for configuring a hardened SSL/TLS on Nginx. It receives a A+ rating when tested at Qualys. A later post will discuss the configuration options in detail, what they do, and how SSL works. Just a word of warning, this configuration enables HSTS by default. If enabled, it tells the browser that it (and its subdomains) must only operate in HTTPS mode. Nginx configuration server { ###------IPv4 Listen Address listen <ipv4address>:443 http2 ssl; ###------IPv6 Listen Address # listen <ipv6address>:443 http2 ssl ipv6only=on; ###------Host name server_name <fqdn>; ###------Enable…

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Securing services with stunnel

Stunnel is a tool that allows you to seamlessly add TLS to most existing services. Stunnel listens on a port, and can either receive encrypted traffic and pass it to an unencrypted destination, or it can receive unencrypted traffic and forward that to an encrypted destination. TLS is commonly used to protect clients from connecting to untrusted servers by verifying the certificate provided by the server. Conversely, servers can prevent unwanted clients from connecting by demanding they provide a valid cert. This means that a stunnel can add a strong layer of access control Table of contents Providing HTTPS to…

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