Hi,
Otto wrote:
We’re currently in the process of setting up personal web servers for our clients – in some cases directly on their workstations.
How do you rate the protection provided by Cloudflare as a front-end security layer to the internet? Do you consider it sufficient?
If you've been using it in your setups for a while, like you say, then you already know the deal. Using Cloudflare doesn't mean you're good to go on the web, it's just an extra layer of security.
Is a warrior safer going into battle with armor on?
Is a motorcycle racer safer wearing an airbag suit?
...It's just an extra layer that helps you be more protected.
Otto wrote:
I’d also be interested to know whether, in your experience, it really is unproblematic to run a web server on a personal PC without immediately running the risk of being hacked – assuming, of course, that you follow the usual security best practices.
Every computer in the world can get hacked, every single one. It might not be easy, but you're exposed. The more security you put on your server, your computer... Then you will be more protected.
The advantage of using CF is that pretty much anyone, with zero experience, can lock down their website pretty well. CF offers a bunch of security services for free, and others you pay for. The free plan easily lets you connect your server with HTTPS, hide your IP, get a first layer of DDoS protection, firewall, set up mail routing...
With a mini PC that costs just over €100 you can have your system up and running quickly. In summary, it's a good service (and free in the basic plan) for many users who aren't experts in these types of configurations.
C.
