About Core Lab: Cybersecurity Meets Homelabbing
The Mission: Building Your Digital Fortress
Most tech content shows you what’s possible with an unlimited budget and a full 42U server rack. Core Lab shows you what’s possible with the hardware you already have.
I started this site to bridge the gap between high-end security and practical self-hosting. Whether you're running a Plex server or a complex firewall, you shouldn’t have to choose between convenience and privacy. This isn't just a tutorial site; it’s a lab notebook for the modern, sustainable, and security-conscious self-hoster.
The Pedigree: Forged in Operational Reality
I don’t rely on paper certifications; I rely on two decades of operational reality. My expertise wasn't gained in a classroom - it was forged in zero-fail environments where the network had to work.
- Military Veteran: As a decorated veteran of the Canadian 🇨🇦 Armed Forces, I spent years securing tactical networks in global combat zones - from deserts to the tropics. I learned the hard way how to build resilient infrastructure under "unintentional chaos engineering" conditions.
- Cybersecurity Lead: I’ve served as the Principal Technical Security Lead for major International Summits, defending critical infrastructure during high-stakes diplomatic events.
- Blue Team Professional: By day, I defend government networks from real-world threats. By night, I apply those same "Mission Critical" principles to the home lab.
The Core Lab Philosophy
1. Practicality over Prestige
You don’t need a enterprise-grade server room to run a production-grade home network. I focus on repurposing desktops, optimizing small form factor PCs, and squeezing every bit of value out of "yesterday’s" hardware.
2. The "Day 2" Mindset
Anyone can follow a guide to install a service. The real work happens on Day 2: hardening the security, tuning the ZFS storage, automating backups, and ensuring the system stays up when things go sideways. Days 30 through to 180 involve optimization, ongoing maintenance and eventual modernization & updates. I don't see anyone covering almost any of that!
3. Privacy by Design
Coming from a background involved in the "5 Eyes" intelligence community, I’ve seen the importance of data sovereignty firsthand.
I believe in an internet where privacy is the standard, not an add-on.
My guides help you reclaim your data without exposing your network to the world.
Connect with the Lab
I originally started this site as my own documentation library. If my solutions help you solve a headache in your own lab, then the mission is a success!
- Email:
[email protected] - Support the Lab: Buy Me a Coffee / Beer
All opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of my employer, in any way shape, or form.
Core Lab Reader Survey!
If you have a couple minutes, please hop over to the Core Lab Reader survey and give me your two cents about what you're interested in reading or learning about, what you'd like to see more of, and how Core Lab can better help you achieve your Home Lab / Self-Hosted happiness!
Thanks so much!