The Witchcraft of Zero-trust is for everyone and you should use it

Picture this.
You're in a sudden situation where access to your devices at home or anywhere can be a really really good choice right now.
Even more simple - Maybe you need a file on your other device which happens to be somewhere else.
Or maybe you just need to be on your own network.

So the traditional way to solve these problems is to setup remote access for the devices you need. Sounds simple, right? Well - what if you really don't have the time or courage to setup all that? It might sound simple to an IT-person sure, but for everyday people? The security problems? Heck no.

Ok here it goes.
Enter 'Zero-trust solutions': Tailscale | Twingate | Headscale

The catch? You still do have to set up certain things, but, it's so little effort and you'll end up wondering how this magic is even possible.

Let's start with Tailscale

Because honestly, this is the one you're probably going to want.
Or at least, start using Tailscale first, and you'll understand how all these solutions work.
Imagine you have your own very private router. It's what they are practically, but it's virtual.
A private mesh network.

All your devices inside this private network can talk to each other, it can transfer files, it can remote, it can even intercept your traffic. While also, all these devices, being on another COMPLETELY different network.
The other devices that are on the other different wifi/internet can't see each other, as it should.
BUT - if they are also, additionally, connected to your own private router, it can do so!
That's what Tailscale is.
To get started with it, all you have to do is go to Tailscale's website, create an account and your network (it's called Tailnet), add your devices to it, and you're good to go!

If I can just mention a tiny bit more technical info - for those wondering how is this any different than just using services like RDP, SSH, FTP or anything. Well - traditionally, you have to open up a certain ports on your router for these to even work. You may be thinking things like reverse proxies and whatnot. Now with Tailscale, you absolutely don't have to - as in, you don't have to open ANY port at your home router!
As long as the devices talking to each other are on the same 'tailnet', it can talk to each other.

You can also limit or control what services you want to block, or allow, just like a router!
My favourite feature with all these solutions are the 'Exit Node' <– This is very much optional, you don't even have to use it.
'Exit Node' is like a device you assign to be your bodyguard, or your bouncer. In and out, traffic goes through your bouncer. No one can mess with your bouncer. So imagine the possibilities.

Tip: 'Exit Node' is also how people can share Netflix accounts WITHOUT any IP bans - *wink* *wink* - they can't stop you.

Now let's talk Twingate.

But before that - honestly, all these solutions are very much similar on how it works though.
Read the stuff above about Tailscale first to understand, before you read about Twingate below. If you're completely new to this - and found Tailscale meets your need, you don't even need Twingate honestly.

Anyway, so Twingate.

Think of Twingate like your bouncer, but with very specific VIP list.
Instead of connecting all your devices together, Twingate lets you determine access to one specific thing, to specific person.
Now you can do this with Tailscale, so you might not even need Twingate at all.
What I'm trying to say is, Twingate is a similar solution to Tailscale but it does it with a different approach.
It is based more on users, rather than devices.
So you want a friend to access a certain thing on your computer, without having him/her snooping around the whole network? Yup totally possible.
Twingate at its core, approaches things that way.
If you happen to be working as an IT administrator, which happens to rent a tenant from Microsoft (Azure), imagine Twingate like Conditional Access.

And lastly - Headscale....

This is a big one.
If you're not IT - don't read below, you can stop now, and start using Tailscale or Twingate.
If you're IT - you'll realise the two solutions mentioned above still relies on an external cloud for network.
Don't get me wrong, it works great.
Plus it doesn't even use a lot in terms of data, it just creates an extra tunnel for stuff, and it's private-focused enough that you don't really have to worry much.

But what if you really want every single infrastructure to be control by yourself?
What if you're more interested in building the solution, rather than just using it?
And therefore - Headscale fits perfectly into this picture.
This is for the home-labbers out there (love ya), the IT community-driven, the anti-big techs, the "I-use-Arch-btw" guys (and girls), the person people often accused of wearing a tin-foil hat.
I don't even have to explain much for you guys:

Headscale = Tailscale with your own infrastructure.

That's it, I don't even have to explain much more. You people know who you are and what you're capable of.

Conclusion:

🟢 For non-techie person? Use Tailscale - just install it, it's user-friendly-enough.
🟢 For a techie is more interested in rule-based (like ACLs) of users? try Twingate.
🟢The techie that truly understand the ins and outs? Headscale is more for you.