VPN / VPS Setup & Hardening (Personal Project)

I am seeking an experienced Linux systems administrator, network security engineer, or cybersecurity professional to help me design and deploy a secure, privacy-focused VPS environment for personal use.

Over the past several months, I have experienced what I perceive to be unusual network and DNS behavior and have ongoing concerns regarding the possibility of network, DNS, or account-related compromise. While I understand that a VPS cannot confirm or rule out every type of compromise—particularly on closed platforms such as iOS—I would appreciate working with someone who can evaluate my goals through that lens and recommend practical measures to improve security, privacy, and visibility.

My objectives are to:

Improve the privacy and integrity of my internet traffic;

Reduce reliance on third-party DNS providers;

Protect against DNS leaks, hijacking, and other common attack vectors;

Establish a secure VPN environment under my control;

Gain reasonable visibility into network activity that traverses this infrastructure; and

Receive recommendations for any additional hardening measures that may be appropriate based on my concerns and threat model.

I am looking for someone who can not only implement the technical solution, but also advise on best practices, identify any gaps in my proposed architecture, and explain the benefits and limitations of the recommended approach in clear, understandable terms.