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diff --git a/docs/configure/secure-nodes.md b/docs/configure/secure-nodes.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..704db35a --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/configure/secure-nodes.md @@ -0,0 +1,123 @@ +<!-- +title: "Secure your nodes" +description: "Your data and systems are safe with Netdata, but we recommend a few easy ways to improve the security of your infrastructure." +custom_edit_url: https://github.com/netdata/netdata/edit/master/docs/configure/secure-nodes.md +--> + +# Secure your nodes + +Upon installation, the Netdata Agent serves the **local dashboard** at port `19999`. If the node is accessible to the +internet at large, anyone can access the dashboard and your node's metrics at `http://NODE:19999`. We made this decision +so that the local dashboard was immediately accessible to users, and so that we don't dictate how professionals set up +and secure their infrastructures. + +Despite this design decision, your [data](/docs/netdata-security.md#your-data-are-safe-with-netdata) and your +[systems](/docs/netdata-security.md#your-systems-are-safe-with-netdata) are safe with Netdata. Netdata is read-only, +cannot do anything other than present metrics, and runs without special/`sudo` privileges. Also, the local dashboard +only exposes chart metadata and metric values, not raw data. + +While Netdata is secure by design, we believe you should [protect your +nodes](/docs/netdata-security.md#why-netdata-should-be-protected). If left accessible to the internet at large, the +local dashboard could reveal sensitive information about your infrastructure. For example, an attacker can view which +applications you run (databases, webservers, and so on), or see every user account on a node. + +Instead of dictating how to secure your infrastructure, we give you many options to establish security best practices +that align with your goals and your organization's standards. + +- [Disable the local dashboard](#disable-the-local-dashboard): **Simplest and recommended method** for those who have + added nodes to Netdata Cloud and view dashboards and metrics there. +- [Restrict access to the local dashboard](#restrict-access-to-the-local-dashboard): Allow local dashboard access from + only certain IP addresses, such as a trusted static IP or connections from behind a management LAN. Full support for + Netdata Cloud. +- [Use a reverse proxy](#use-a-reverse-proxy): Password-protect a local dashboard and enable TLS to secure it. Full + support for Netdata Cloud. + +## Disable the local dashboard + +This is the _recommended method for those who have claimed their nodes to Netdata Cloud_ and prefer viewing real-time +metrics using the War Room Overview, Nodes view, and Cloud dashboards. + +You can disable the local dashboard (and API) but retain the encrypted Agent-Cloud link ([ACLK](/aclk/README.md)) that +allows you to stream metrics on demand from your nodes via the Netdata Cloud interface. This change mitigates all +concerns about revealing metrics and system design to the internet at large, while keeping all the functionality you +need to view metrics and troubleshoot issues with Netdata Cloud. + +Open `netdata.conf` with `./edit-config netdata.conf`. Scroll down to the `[web]` section, and find the `mode = +static-threaded` setting, and change it to `none`. + +```conf +[web] + mode = none +``` + +Save and close the editor, then [restart your Agent](/docs/configure/start-stop-restart.md) using `sudo systemctl +restart netdata`. If you try to visit the local dashboard to `http://NODE:19999` again, the connection will fail because +that node no longer serves its local dashboard. + +> See the [configuration basics doc](/docs/configure/nodes.md) for details on how to find `netdata.conf` and use +> `edit-config`. + +## Restrict access to the local dashboard + +If you want to keep using the local dashboard, but don't want it exposed to the internet, you can restrict access with +[access lists](/web/server/README.md#access-lists). This method also fully retains the ability to stream metrics +on-demand through Netdata Cloud. + +The `allow connections from` setting helps you allow only certain IP addresses or FQDN/hostnames, such as a trusted +static IP, only `localhost`, or connections from behind a management LAN. + +By default, this setting is `localhost *`. This setting allows connections from `localhost` in addition to _all_ +connections, using the `*` wildcard. You can change this setting using Netdata's [simple +patterns](/libnetdata/simple_pattern/README.md). + +```conf +[web] + # Allow only localhost connections + allow connections from = localhost + + # Allow only from management LAN running on `10.X.X.X` + allow connections from = 10.* + + # Allow connections only from a specific FQDN/hostname + allow connections from = example* +``` + +The `allow connections from` setting is global and restricts access to the dashboard, badges, streaming, API, and +`netdata.conf`, but you can also set each of those access lists more granularly if you choose: + +```conf +[web] + allow connections from = localhost * + allow dashboard from = localhost * + allow badges from = * + allow streaming from = * + allow netdata.conf from = localhost fd* 10.* 192.168.* 172.16.* 172.17.* 172.18.* 172.19.* 172.20.* 172.21.* 172.22.* 172.23.* 172.24.* 172.25.* 172.26.* 172.27.* 172.28.* 172.29.* 172.30.* 172.31.* + allow management from = localhost +``` + +See the [web server](/web/server/README.md#access-lists) docs for additional details about access lists. You can take +access lists one step further by [enabling SSL](/web/server/README.md#enabling-tls-support) to encrypt data from local +dashboard in transit. The connection to Netdata Cloud is always secured with TLS. + +## Use a reverse proxy + +You can also put Netdata behind a reverse proxy for additional security while retaining the functionality of both the +local dashboard and Netdata Cloud dashboards. You can use a reverse proxy to password-protect the local dashboard and +enable HTTPS to encrypt metadata and metric values in transit. + +We recommend Nginx, as it's what we use for our [demo server](https://london.my-netdata.io/), and we have a guide +dedicated to [running Netdata behind Nginx](/docs/Running-behind-nginx.md). + +We also have guides for [Apache](/docs/Running-behind-apache.md), [Lighttpd](/docs/Running-behind-lighttpd.md), +[HAProxy](/docs/Running-behind-haproxy.md), and [Caddy](/docs/Running-behind-caddy.md). + +## What's next? + +Read about [Netdata's security design](/docs/netdata-security.md) and our [blog +post](https://www.netdata.cloud/blog/netdata-agent-dashboard/) about why the local Agent dashboard is both open and +secure by design. + +Next up, learn about [collectors](/docs/collect/how-collectors-work.md) to ensure you're gathering every essential +metric about your node, its applications, and your infrastructure at large. + +[](<>) |