Placing IPv6 addresses directly on servers does not inherently increase the risk of being compromised from the Internet, as long as the necessary security measures are properly implemented.

In fact, IPv6 was designed with a number of features that can improve security.

However, there are specific considerations that you should take into account to ensure that your servers are secure in an IPv6 environment:

1. Proper traffic filtering

It is essential to correctly configure firewalls and other traffic filtering measures for IPv6.

Unlike IPv4, where many network configurations use NAT (Network Address Translation) which can offer a form of security through address cloaking, IPv6 generally assigns public addresses directly to devices, including servers.

This means that devices are potentially accessible directly from the Internet, so it is crucial to have a well-configured IPv6 firewall that limits access to only necessary ports and services.

2. Transport layer security

Implementing and maintaining secure configurations at the transport layer, such as TLS/SSL, remains crucial. Securing data transmission using encrypted protocols helps protect against data interception and other types of attacks.

3. IPsec implementation

IPv6 has native integration with IPsec, a set of protocols for network layer security that provides encryption and authentication. Although IPsec is also available in IPv4, IPv6 is designed to be more accessible and potentially easier to implement consistently across the network.

4. Address Management

Carefully managing IPv6 addresses to avoid accidentally setting global addresses on interfaces that should not be accessible from the Internet is important. Using unique local addresses (ULAs) for internal services that do not require external access can help reduce risk.

5. Education and updating of security policies

With the introduction of IPv6, it is essential that IT teams are well informed about the configuration and security differences between IPv6 and IPv4. Updating security policies to specifically address IPv6 and training staff in its secure configuration and maintenance are key steps to protecting network resources.

Conclusion

The use of IPv6 in itself does not increase security risks, but requires careful consideration and an adapted approach to security. With appropriate configurations, IPv6's built-in security features can even offer improvements over IPv4.

Ultimately, the key is to apply network security best practices and stay up to date with security updates and patches for operating systems and applications.