Securing HTTP Traffic with SSL/TLS Using HAProxy

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Securing HTTP Traffic with SSL/TLS Using HAProxy

Security should never be an afterthought, but even if it is, HAProxy has got your back! In this lab, we’re going to get hands-on with HAProxy, using it to secure existing HTTP connections via SSL termination at our HAProxy server. We’re also going to configure HAProxy to redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS so our sites' guests are gently herded into more secure pastures. Upon completion of the lab, you will be able to secure an HAProxy installation to load balance HTTP/S connections.

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Lab Info

Level

Intermediate

Last updated

Sep 25, 2025

Duration

30m

Challenge

Secure Our Sites with SSL/TLS
Let's secure our frontend with SSL/TLS!

Perform the following:
- Change the frontend to bind to port 443 on all addresses.
  
  Configure SSL/TLS, using the /etc/haproxy/certs directory.
  
  Force TLS v1.2.
  
  Leave the 2 backends untouched.
  
  Restart the haproxy service.
  
  Perform the following checks with curl -k:
  
  https://www.site1.com/test.txt
  
  https://www.site2.com/test.txt
  
  http://www.site1.com/test.txt
  
  http://www.site2.com/test.txt
  
  The first 2 should work, the second 2 will fail.
Challenge

Redirect HTTP Traffic to HTTPS
The final thing we want to do is to start accepting HTTP traffic again, but we need to force it to HTTPS. This way, if our users make a request using HTTP, we can enforce the use of encryption.

Perform the following:
- Change the frontend to also bind to port 80 on all addresses,
- Create a redirect to force HTTPS, unless the client is already using it,
- Leave the 2 backends untouched,
- Restart the haproxy service,
- Perform the following checks with curl -kL:
  
  https://www.site1.com/test.txt
  
  https://www.site2.com/test.txt
  
  http://www.site1.com/test.txt
  
  http://www.site2.com/test.txt
  
  All checks should work.

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