close
Practical security & self-hosting tutorials for devs who run their own infrastructure.
A cyan reverse-proxy hub routing encrypted traffic to self-hosted app nodes on a deep-navy panel — setting up Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker. [ nginx-proxy-manager ]

How to Set Up Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker

TL;DR: Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) is a free, open-source web GUI for Nginx that gives every self-hosted app a clean domain and an auto-renewing Let's Encrypt certificate

enim · Jun 23 · 7 min
Read →
// start here

Three guided paths through ByteGuard — pick one.

01 Run your own services Self-hosting · Docker, Vaultwarden, Gitea 02 Lock down your VPS VPS security · SSH, firewall, fail2ban 03 Learn by breaking things CTF · web, crypto, pwn, forensics

Latest Posts

Two cyan tunnels on dark navy: one returns to a single private server, the other branches into a crowd of identical nodes — self-hosted VPN vs privacy VPN.
[ vpn ]

I Self-Host My Own VPN — Do I Still Need Mullvad?

TL;DR: "VPN" is really two different products that happen to share a name. A self-hosted VPN (WireGuard or OpenVPN

Jun 18 · 8 min
A
Three cyan network nodes labelled WireGuard, OpenVPN and Tailscale connected over a deep-navy mesh — a self-hosted VPN comparison for 2026.
[ vpn ]

WireGuard vs OpenVPN vs Tailscale: Self-Host in 2026

TL;DR: For most self-hosters in 2026, pick WireGuard if you want raw speed and full control, Tailscale if you want a

Jun 11 · 9 min
A
An isometric cyan photo-library stack flowing from a phone into a dark navy server panel — self-hosted Immich replacing cloud photo storage.
[ self-hosting ]

Self-Host Immich on a VPS: Your Own Private Google Photos

TL;DR: Immich is an open-source, self-hosted photo and video platform that genuinely replaces Google Photos — phone auto-backup, AI face and object

Jun 8 · 8 min
A
Three glowing cyan data layers copied across a dark navy panel toward an off-site cloud bucket — the 3-2-1 backup rule for self-hosters.
[ self-hosting ]

The 3-2-1 Backup Setup for Self-Hosters: restic + Backblaze B2

TL;DR: A real backup is encrypted, off-site, and restore-tested. The fastest way to get all three on a self-hosted server is

Jun 5 · 7 min
A
A cyan automation flow of connected nodes branching across a dark navy server panel — self-hosting n8n on a VPS.
[ self-hosting ]

Self-Host n8n on a VPS with Docker

TL;DR: You can self-host n8n on any 2 GB VPS with Docker Compose in about fifteen minutes. The official image plus

Jun 2 · 7 min
A
Seven stacked cyan layers labelled with globe, envelope, shield, key, server, cloud, and lock icons — the 2026 self-hoster's privacy stack.
[ privacy ]

The 2026 Self-Hoster's Privacy Stack: every tool I actually pay for, configured end-to-end

TL;DR: A working privacy stack in 2026 is not a single tool. It's seven decisions made in the right

May 29 · 8 min
A
Three cyan envelopes side-by-side, each sealed with a lock, key, and shield glyph — representing Proton Mail, Tutanota, and Mailbox.org compared.
[ email ]

Private Email Showdown 2026: Proton Mail vs Tutanota vs Mailbox.org — I ran all three for 90 days

TL;DR: - Proton Mail — best default for most people. Custom domain works, the apps are polished, deliverability is the best of

May 26 · 6 min
A
Glowing cyan padlock with a globe inside, orbiting network nodes — symbolising Proton VPN's encrypted tunnels across the world.
[ vpn ]

Proton VPN in 2026: I ran it for 60 days on my self-hosted stack — here's what works and what doesn't

TL;DR: Proton VPN is the right default for most self-hosters who want a privacy-respecting VPN without DIYing one. It's

May 23 · 8 min
A
Cybersecurity toolkit illustration with shields and scanning icons on dark navy background
[ security ]

15 Best Free Security Tools in 2026

I spend a lot of time testing security tools — for my own infrastructure, for CTF challenges, and for the tools I recommend

May 13 · 9 min
A
World map with server nodes in Helsinki, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and a latency bar chart showing benchmarks for 5 VPS providers
[ vps ]

Hetzner vs Contabo vs Vultr vs Linode vs DO: 30-Day VPS Data

TL;DR 33 days of real Uptime Kuma data from a Hetzner CPX22 in Helsinki: 99.98% uptime over 46,934 health

May 10 · 10 min
A
Gitea server with Git branch tree, Docker whale carrying containers, SSH key, SSL proxy, and CI/CD pipeline
[ self-hosting ]

How to Self-Host Gitea with Docker Compose

GitHub is free, reliable, and deeply integrated into every developer's workflow. So why would anyone self-host Gitea as an alternative?

Apr 30 · 10 min
A