It is safe to host VPN server in Linode VM?
I don't know well how cloud VM like Linode is provide privacy and independence when we buy VM from them but I want to create a privacy VPN server like Outline Server for people access it without worry about IP log and try to open internet in my region.
But sure, when I create VPN server and provide key access I don't know who will use this VPN and what they're looking, including penetration test.
Is anyone know how Linode can be trust and is their VM is independent (like my own server)?
1 Reply
There are a couple things to cover, here.
First: Any time that you are hosting a service on hardware that you do not personally own and control, you are trusting someone else with everything that you store on or send through your system.
Second: A Linode is a virtual machine running on Linode's hardware in Linode's datacenter. In theory, yes, they could monitor every single thing going on in every single Linode. In reality, Linode is a professional organization that is selling services for which security is a selling point. Linode is not some random person's side job. Linode's datacenters and corporate practices have been audited by independent third parties to a similar degree as much larger providers, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, etc.
Third: I strongly recommend against setting up a VPN server in Linode and letting other people that you do not strongly trust access it. You are responsible for anything that anyone does on or through your Linode. If someone tries to "pen test" a third party, and that third party didn't approve that, YOU are potentially liable for criminal activity. If someone uses your Linode to access child pornography, YOU are potentially liable for criminal activity. And if you have made a point of not logging activity on that system, you may end up suffering the consequences for the actions of others.
In short: Yes, Linode can be trusted, but this is a horrible idea.