SSL/TLS Setup Guide for the Forensic OSINT Backend (Windows Server)

Option A: Setting Up SSL with NGINX on Windows

1. Install NGINX on Windows

Download the NGINX Windows binaries and extract them to C:\nginx\ or your preferred directory.

2. Generate SSL Certificates

Generate a self-signed certificate or use an existing SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA).

openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout C:\nginx\ssl\selfsigned.key -out C:\nginx\ssl\selfsigned.crt

3. Configure NGINX for SSL

Edit the nginx.conf file and add the following configuration:

server {
            listen 443 ssl;
            server_name your-domain.com;
        
            ssl_certificate C:/nginx/ssl/selfsigned.crt;
            ssl_certificate_key C:/nginx/ssl/selfsigned.key;
        
            ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
            ssl_ciphers HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5;
        
            location / {
                proxy_pass http://localhost:65200;
                proxy_set_header Host $host;
                proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
                proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
                proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
            }
        
        }
        
        server {
            listen 80;
            server_name your-domain.com;
        
            return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
        }
        

4. Start NGINX

Open Command Prompt as Administrator, navigate to the NGINX directory, and start the service:

cd C:\nginx\
  start nginx

Option B: Setting Up SSL with IIS on Windows Server

1. Install IIS and SSL

Use the Server Manager to install IIS and the required SSL features. Navigate to Manage > Add Roles and Features and ensure the following are selected:

• Web Server (IIS)
• IIS Management Console
• SSL and other security features

2. Create or Install an SSL Certificate

To create a self-signed certificate, use IIS Manager:

In IIS Manager > Server Certificates > Create Self-Signed Certificate

Enter a friendly name and select "OK".

3. Bind the SSL Certificate to Your Site

In IIS Manager, select your site, then click Edit Bindings. Add a new binding for https, and select your SSL certificate.

4. Set Up Reverse Proxy

Install the Application Request Routing (ARR) module from the IIS site. Then, configure a reverse proxy to forward traffic to http://localhost:65200.

5. Configure the Chrome Extension

Update the Chrome Extension's Backend URL to point to the HTTPS URL:

https://your-domain.com:443