I recently came across an IETF proposal called SETTLE (SEcure access To Tls Local rEsources), and I'm surprised I haven't seen it discussed here before. I'm making this post just because I found it exciting and wanted to share, and figured more people supporting it can only be a good thing. I am unaffiliated with the IETF.
In short, if developed into a standard, and implemented into popular OSs, it will allow you to establish trusted TLS connections to local services without reliance on global cert authorities or manually installing root certs. This would make it possible to establish zero-external-dependence trust for things like Vaultwarden and OIDC without the pain of dealing with root certs.
Today, there are three primary ways people achieve network trust for their self-hosting (in no particular order):
- Purchasing a domain or utilizing a DDNS, and then using Let's Encrypt with a reverse proxy
- Tailscale's Tailnet (https://*.ts.net)
- Setting up a CA, and manually installing root certs onto devices
The first two of which require varying degrees of dependency on external services and possibly recurring costs. Only the root certs option avoids this, but it's an impractical solution if you'll ever need to onboard someone remotely, as installing root certs can be a real pain (especially on mobile devices).
To be clear, I'm talking about network trust, not simply access. You can, of course, use Wireguard (or a tunnel manager like Headscale or Netbird) for fully self-controlled remote access, and local access is a-given.
What is the SETTLE proposal?
The October 2026 SETTLE requirements draft describes a possible architecture built around locally managed cryptographic identities and a local trust authority. The precise protocol and implementation details are still being developed though, so specifics are likely to change.
Rather than providing blind trust, SETTLE is proposed to call for an initial verification mechanism that can work independently of the network connection itself. Depending on the eventual implementation, this could involve a QR code, a physical push button, or another OOB exchange of cryptographic information.
SETTLE describes a Referee, essentially a local trust authority. Once a device has been securely enrolled, the Referee could issue it a cryptographic identity. Other participating devices would be able to verify that identity and thereby establish trust.
How does this affect you?
Once realized and implemented, SETTLE, as it's currently proposed, aims to enable you to establish local domains with TLS trust (e.g., https://NextCloud.home.arpa) without ever even needing to contact an external server or spend a cent. New users could "possibly" be onboarded by sending them a simple cryptographic key file and connecting them through your choice of Wireguard tunnel system (speculative).
There are still a lot of important questions that need to be answered by the IETF devs pursuing this, and it will likely be a fair few years (speculation) until the standard is finalized and we see it implemented into major OSs, but this is a very exciting development nonetheless.
My questions for you:
- Would you favor establishing trust via SETTLE over however you're currently doing so?
- What are some specifics you would need in the implementation for this to best serve you?