9. Operations and Maintenance

9.1 Overview

This section defines the operational procedures for keeping TheDen Home network current, stable, and secure.

9.2 Software and Firmware Updates

• OPNsense: Check for updates monthly (System -> Firmware -> Updates)

  • Apply security updates immediately; feature updates at least quarterly

  • Take a snapshot and configuration backup immediately before any updates are made

• System Packages (Suricata, GeoIP, etc.): Verify automatic updates under Services -> Intrusion Detection -> Download. Update manually if stale

• UniFi Network Controller and Access Points: Check for firmware updates quarterly through the controller dashboard

9.3 Log Review

Review Firewall, Suricata, and DNS logs monthly, focusing on:

• Repeated GeoIP blocks on the IoT VLAN

• Unusual outbound destinations

• Suricata “severity 1” events

Make sure logs older than 30 days are archived, delete after 90 days.

9.4 Backup Validation

Automated backups are planned; once configured, validate quarterly.

• Confirm existence and timestamp of:

  • OPNsense configuration backup

  • UniFi Controller backup

• Delete backups over 90 days old

9.5 Credential Management

All administrative credentials are stored in my Bitwarden vault in the TheDen Admin folder. The vault is protected by MFA, and shared within the Landisfam family.

9.6 Maintenance Checklists

Monthly Tasks:

Quarterly Tasks: