Synology NAS Security Against Modern Cyber Threats
Synology Security: Protect Your NAS Devices from Cyber Threats
Synology NAS devices have become a core component of modern business IT environments. They centralize file storage, host critical backups, and often act as the backbone for collaboration and virtualized services. Because of this, they are also an attractive target for cybercriminals. Ransomware, credential theft, and misconfigurations can quickly turn a powerful storage system into a single point of failure.
Securing your Synology NAS is not just a technical best practice; it is a business continuity requirement. With the right configuration, monitoring, and backup strategy, a Synology NAS can be a highly resilient and secure platform for your critical data.
Start with a Hardened Synology DSM Configuration
Security begins with the underlying operating system: DiskStation Manager (DSM). Keeping DSM and all installed packages up to date is essential. Synology regularly releases patches that fix vulnerabilities, enhance security, and improve performance.
Key hardening steps include:
Enabling automatic or scheduled DSM and package updates
Disabling unused services and ports to reduce the attack surface
Changing default ports for DSM access to avoid basic scans
Enforcing strong password policies and password expiration rules
By treating your NAS like any other critical server, rather than a simple file appliance, you significantly reduce the risk of exploitation.
Enforce Strong Identity and Access Management
Compromised credentials remain one of the most common causes of data breaches. Synology NAS provides robust identity and access management tools that should be carefully configured.
Best practices include:
Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for all administrative accounts
Integrating with Active Directory or LDAP for centralized identity control
Applying strict role-based access control (RBAC) for shares and applications
Enforcing account lockout policies and IP auto-block for repeated failed logins
These measures ensure that only authorized users, using secure authentication methods, can reach sensitive data and administration features.
Secure Network Access and Remote Connectivity
Many attacks begin at the network layer. A Synology NAS exposed directly to the internet with weak security settings is extremely vulnerable. To minimize risk:
Use the built-in Synology firewall to restrict access by IP, network, or region.
Limit remote management to VPN connections or secure tunnels.
Disable outdated protocols and insecure services
Use HTTPS with valid certificates for encrypted web access
Network segmentation can further protect your NAS. Placing it on a secure VLAN and restricting access only to necessary servers and clients limits lateral movement if another system is compromised.
Protect Data with Encryption and Secure Protocols
If a device is stolen or disks are removed, you still need your data to remain confidential. Synology NAS supports volume and shared folder encryption, ensuring that data at rest is protected even if physical media is accessed.
For data in transit, always:
Use encrypted protocols such as SFTP, FTPS, or HTTPS.
Disable plain FTP and other insecure services
Enforce encryption on sync and backup traffic where possible
This full-stack encryption strategy prevents eavesdropping and unauthorized reading of sensitive information, whether on the network or on physical drives.
Use Snapshots, Backups, and Immutable Copies Against Ransomware
A secure NAS is not only about prevention, but it is also about recovery. Ransomware often targets mapped drives and network shares, encrypting files that users can access. Synology offers powerful tools to counter this risk:
Snapshot Replication for near-instant restore of shared folders or volumes
Scheduled versioning for key data sets
Offsite backups to another Synology NAS or to Synology C2 cloud
Immutable or locked backup copies that cannot be altered by ransomware
Implementing a 3-2-1 strategy (three copies of data, on two media types, with one offsite) using Synology’s backup ecosystem can turn a ransomware incident from a disaster into a recoverable event.
Continuous Monitoring and Security Auditing
Visibility is critical. Synology NAS includes logging, alerting, and security scanning features that should be actively used:
Security Advisor to scan for weak settings and known misconfigurations
Log monitoring for failed logins, permission changes, and share access.
Alerts for unusual activity, storage thresholds, and system errors
Combined with your broader SIEM or monitoring tools, this gives IT teams the insight needed to respond early to suspicious events and prove compliance with internal policies or regulatory standards.
How Epis Technology Strengthens Synology Security
Epis Technology specializes in building secure, high-performance Synology-based environments for businesses that cannot afford data loss or downtime. Rather than leaving organizations to guess at hardening checklists and backup policies, Epis designs end-to-end architectures tailored to each company’s risk profile and operational needs. The team configures DSM security, identity integration, firewall rules, snapshots, and offsite backups, then layers on monitoring and alerting so that issues are detected early. With Epis Technology managing your Synology infrastructure, your NAS becomes a hardened, well-governed core of your data protection strategy instead of a weak link.
About Epis Technology
Epis Technology provides enterprise-grade IT infrastructure, Synology consulting, and data protection solutions for businesses of all sizes. Leveraging Synology NAS, Synology C2, and advanced backup platforms, Epis designs and manages secure environments for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backups, large storage systems, and fully managed PC backups. From initial deployment and configuration to performance tuning, cybersecurity hardening, and disaster recovery planning, Epis Technology ensures that critical data remains protected, recoverable, and always available to support business operations.