Launch a VM on Azure as a proxy

Your plan to use a cloud-based VM with a proxy server to provide an intermediary IP address instead of your actual WAN IP is indeed a good approach for maintaining privacy and security. Here's a breakdown of what you're considering and some additional points to consider:

Pros of Your Plan:

Privacy: You keep your real IP address hidden, which can prevent direct access to your network.
Security: By using a proxy, you add a layer of security. If there's any malicious intent, it would target the VM first, not your home or office network.
Control: You control the connection, can monitor traffic, and can cut off access if needed without exposing your main network.

What You Might Be Missing:

Security of the VM:
- Ensure the VM itself is secure. This includes keeping it updated, using strong authentication methods, and possibly implementing additional security measures like firewalls or intrusion detection systems.
Proxy Configuration:
- Configure the proxy correctly to only allow specific types of traffic you're comfortable with. You might want to limit what protocols or services can pass through.
Data Encryption:
- Consider encrypting data between your actual network and the proxy. VPNs or SSH tunnels could be used for this purpose.
Logging and Monitoring:
- Set up logging on the proxy server to monitor what your client is doing with the connection. This can help in identifying any suspicious activities.
Cost and Performance:
- Depending on the cloud service, there might be costs associated with running this VM. Also, consider the performance impact of routing traffic through a proxy.
Legal and Compliance Issues:
- Be aware of any legal implications regarding data routing through different jurisdictions, especially if sensitive data is involved.
Backup Plan:
- Have a plan for what to do if the VM or proxy server goes down. Can you quickly provision another if needed?
Exit Strategy:
- Think about how you'll transition away from this setup if the relationship with the client becomes more trustworthy or if you decide to end the relationship.
Transparency with Client:
- Depending on your relationship, you might want to inform the client that you're using a proxy for security reasons without revealing specifics about your setup.
Scalability:
- If this setup works well, consider how you might scale it if you need to do something similar for other clients or projects.

Implementation Tips:

Use a Reliable Cloud Provider: Choose a provider known for security and reliability.
Automate Security Updates: Ensure your VM's OS and software are automatically updated.
Use a VPN for Added Security: If possible, route your traffic through a VPN before hitting the proxy for an extra layer of security.

By considering these aspects, you can enhance the security and functionality of your setup, ensuring both your privacy and the operational needs are met. If you're not familiar with setting up such systems, you might also consider consulting with an IT security professional to ensure everything is configured correctly.

Here's a basic guide to setting up a simple proxy using tinyproxy, which is lightweight and easy to configure. This guide assumes you're using a Linux-based system, which is common in cloud environments.

Step 1: Install Tinyproxy

First, you need to install tinyproxy. The method varies slightly depending on the distribution:

For Ubuntu/Debian based systems:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install tinyproxy

For Red Hat/CentOS based systems:

sudo yum install epel-release  # If not already installed
sudo yum install tinyproxy

Step 2: Basic Configuration

Tinyproxy's configuration file is usually located at /etc/tinyproxy/tinyproxy.conf. You'll need to edit this file to customize your proxy settings. Here's a basic configuration:

sudo nano /etc/tinyproxy/tinyproxy.conf

Modify or add the following lines:

# Port on which Tinyproxy will listen
Port 8888

# Enable the proxy
Enable 1

# Allow connections from any IP (be cautious with this in production)
Allow 0.0.0.0/0

# If you want to restrict access to specific IPs
#Allow 192.168.1.0/24

# Set the user and group to run as (optional for security)
User proxy
Group proxy

# Timeout in seconds
Timeout 600

# Log file location
LogFile /var/log/tinyproxy/tinyproxy.log

# Verbosity level for logging
LogLevel Info

# Start the proxy with system boot
StartOnBoot 1

Step 3: Start and Enable Tinyproxy

Start the service and ensure it starts on boot:

sudo systemctl start tinyproxy
sudo systemctl enable tinyproxy

Step 4: Firewall Configuration

If you're using a firewall like ufw (on Ubuntu) or firewalld (on CentOS), you need to allow traffic through the port you've chosen:

For ufw:
```
sudo ufw allow 8888/tcp
```

For firewalld:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=8888/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Step 5: Test Your Proxy

You can test your proxy setup by using curl or a web browser:

curl --proxy http://localhost:8888 google.com

If everything is set up correctly, this should fetch Google's homepage through your proxy.

Additional Security Measures:

Restrict Access: If you only want to allow access from your IP, replace Allow 0.0.0.0/0 with your specific IP or range.

Authentication: For added security, you can enable basic authentication by adding:

Authentication realm="tinyproxy"
Authentication file="/etc/tinyproxy/htpasswd"

Then create the password file:

sudo htpasswd -c /etc/tinyproxy/htpasswd username

SSL/TLS: For encrypting traffic, you might want to set up SSL. This involves generating certificates and configuring them in the tinyproxy.conf.

Conclusion

This setup provides a basic, functional proxy. For production environments, consider more robust solutions with better logging, monitoring, and possibly integration with other security tools. Always keep your system updated and consider the security implications of running a public-facing proxy. If you're not familiar with these processes, consulting with a network security expert might be beneficial.

jaylong255 / azure-tinyproxy