Securing Web Applications MikroTik Router Reverse Proxy Setup

In recent years, NGINX has become one of the most popular web servers on the internet. While it has been known for its speed and efficiency, it has also been noted that NGINX can be used as a secure reverse proxy. In this post, we will explore how to configure NGINX as a secure reverse proxy.

To begin, we need to understand what a reverse proxy is and what it can do for us. A reverse proxy is a server that sits between the internet and your web server. When a request comes in from the internet, it is first routed through the reverse proxy before it gets to your web server. The reverse proxy can perform a number of different tasks, such as load balancing, caching, and SSL termination.

One of the most important tasks that a reverse proxy can perform is SSL termination. SSL, short for Secure Sockets Layer, is a protocol that encrypts data sent between the user's browser and the web server. SSL certificates are typically issued by a trusted third party, such as Let's Encrypt or Verisign. However, installing and managing SSL certificates on a web server can be a complex and time-consuming process. A reverse proxy can simplify this process by handling the SSL encryption and decryption, allowing the web server to operate without SSL enabled.

Now that we understand what a reverse proxy does and why it is important, let's take a look at how to configure NGINX as a secure reverse proxy.

Step 1: Install and Configure NGINX

The first step is to install NGINX on your server. The installation process will vary depending on your operating system, but the basic steps are:

Download the NGINX package
Configure the NGINX package
Compile and install the NGINX package

Once NGINX is installed, you will need to configure it to function as a reverse proxy. The configuration file typically resides in the /etc/nginx directory and is named nginx.conf. Depending on your distribution, you may also have additional configuration files in /etc/nginx/conf.d/ or /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/.

Step 2: Configure SSL Termination

The next step is to configure SSL termination. There are several options for SSL termination, but the most common is to use a free SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt. Let's Encrypt is a certificate authority that provides free SSL certificates that are valid for 90 days. To obtain a free SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt, you will need to install the Certbot client and follow the instructions on the Let's Encrypt website.

Once you have obtained your SSL certificate, you will need to configure NGINX to use it. The basic configuration for SSL termination looks like this:

 server      listen 443 ssl;     ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;     ssl_certificate_key /path/to/private/key.pem;     ...

Note that the ssl_certificate and ssl_certificate_key directives should point to the location of your SSL certificate and private key, respectively.

Step 3: Configure Proxy Pass

The final step is to configure the proxy pass. The proxy pass is the directive that tells NGINX where to forward the request once it has been received. The basic configuration for the proxy pass looks like this:

 server      listen 80;     server_name example.com;     return 301 https://$server_name$request_uri;   server      listen 443 ssl;     server_name example.com;      ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;     ssl_certificate_key /path/to/private/key.pem;      location /          proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;

In this example, NGINX is listening on port 80 and redirecting all requests to HTTPS. Any requests received on port 443 are encrypted using SSL and passed to the web server running on port 8080.

Conclusion

Configuring NGINX as a secure reverse proxy is a complex process, but it is well worth the effort. By using a reverse proxy, you can simplify the management of SSL certificates, improve server performance, and enhance security. If you're not comfortable with configuring NGINX yourself, there are many resources available that can help you get started.

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Overall, NGINX is a powerful web server that can be used in many different ways. Whether you're using NGINX as a reverse proxy or as a standalone web server, it is a valuable tool that can help you build fast, efficient, and secure web applications.