> Is it relatively "safe" with modern tools and VMs or do you need to stay on top and (for eg) always ensure you're updating software weekly?
First step to figure out if you actually need to be able to access it from the outside at all. If you just want a NAS, chances are you can put it on a separate VLAN/network that is only accessible within your LAN, so it wouldn't even be accessible from the outside.
If you really need it to be accessible from the outside, make sure you start with everything locked down/not accessible at all from the beginning, then step-by-step open up exactly what you want, and nothing else. Make sure the endpoints accessible is run by software you keep up to date, at least weekly if not daily.
First step to figure out if you actually need to be able to access it from the outside at all. If you just want a NAS, chances are you can put it on a separate VLAN/network that is only accessible within your LAN, so it wouldn't even be accessible from the outside.
If you really need it to be accessible from the outside, make sure you start with everything locked down/not accessible at all from the beginning, then step-by-step open up exactly what you want, and nothing else. Make sure the endpoints accessible is run by software you keep up to date, at least weekly if not daily.