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1. Fortify Your Network
  • Router Configuration: Flash your router with open-source firmware like OpenWrt or DD-WRT for granular control. Disable UPnP and WPS to prevent unauthorized access.
  • VLAN Segmentation: Create Virtual LANs to isolate IoT devices, guest traffic, and critical systems (e.g., NAS) using a managed switch or router with VLAN support.
  • DNS Security: Use a Pi-hole or AdGuard Home instance on a Raspberry Pi to block malicious domains and trackers. Pair it with encrypted DNS (DoH/DoT) via Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Quad9.
  • Firewall Rules: Configure outbound filtering on your router to block non-essential traffic (e.g., restrict IoT devices to local-only communication).
2. Advanced Authentication
  • Password Hygiene: Generate 20+ character passwords using a cryptographically secure tool like pwgen or Diceware. Store them in an offline KeePass database synced via an encrypted drive.
  • Hardware MFA: Deploy YubiKeys or Titan Security Keys for U2F/FIDO2 authentication on supported services (e.g., GitHub, Google).
  • SSH Keys: For remote access, use Ed25519 SSH keys with a passphrase instead of passwords, stored in a secure .ssh directory (chmod 600).
3. System Hardening
  • OS Updates: Automate updates via unattended-upgrades (Linux) or Group Policy (Windows). Verify GPG signatures for manual package installs.
  • Sandboxing: Run untrusted apps in a virtual machine (e.g., VirtualBox, QEMU) or container (Docker, Podman) with restricted network access.
  • Endpoint Protection: Deploy open-source tools like ClamAV (Linux) or Microsoft Defender with Tamper Protection enabled. Use Sysinternals Suite (Windows) for real-time process monitoring.
4. Data Security
  • Encryption: Encrypt drives with LUKS (Linux) or VeraCrypt (cross-platform). Use GPG for file-level encryption of sensitive data.
  • Secure Backups: Implement a 3-2-1 backup strategy—3 copies, 2 local media, 1 offsite—using rsync to an encrypted external drive and a service like Backblaze with client-side encryption.
  • Network Storage: Secure NAS devices (e.g., Synology, QNAP) with RAID, disable default admin accounts, and expose only via VPN (e.g., WireGuard).
5. Safe Browsing and Traffic
  • Browser Hardening: Use Firefox with uBlock Origin, ClearURLs, and HTTPS Everywhere. Set about:config flags like privacy.firstparty.isolate to true.
  • Tor or VPN: Route sensitive traffic through Tor for anonymity or a self-hosted VPN (OpenVPN, WireGuard) on a VPS for privacy.
  • Packet Inspection: Run Wireshark or tcpdump on your network to monitor for anomalies like unexpected outbound connections.
6. IoT and Device Control
  • Firmware Auditing: Check IoT devices for open ports with nmap (e.g., nmap -p- 192.168.1.x) and disable unnecessary services via telnet/SSH if accessible.
  • MAC Filtering: Whitelist known device MAC addresses on your router to block rogue connections.
  • Local DNS: Assign static IPs and custom hostnames via /etc/hosts or DHCP reservations to track devices.
7. Threat Detection and Response
  • Intrusion Detection: Deploy Zeek or Suricata on a dedicated network tap to analyze traffic for suspicious patterns.
  • Log Monitoring: Centralize logs with a lightweight ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) or Graylog on a home server.
  • Incident Response: If compromised, boot from a live USB (e.g., Kali Linux), capture memory with volatility, and analyze with Autopsy.