Secure Kubernetes

You've probably heard of Kubernetes before. It is an open-source container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
But have you ever thought about the security implications of such a platform?

Many users tend to offload risk management and security responsibilities to a platform like Kubernetes. However, Kubernetes cannot perform magic and is only as good as its weakest link. This is where the user comes in again: if I deploy vulnerable container images to Kubernetes, it can't magically fix those vulnerabilities and prevent exploitation. If, in addition to a vulnerable image, communication between containers is not properly secured, an attacker can suddenly gain access and take over the entire application. Using appropriate access controls goes in the same direction: Without properly configured access controls, it is easy for an attacker to gain access to the application.

As you can see, many of these risks are again related to configuration issues like our last one Blog. To avoid these, you can follow some best practices:

• Using Least Privilege Access
• Using secure container images
• "Hardening" of the Kubernetes infrastructure
• Implementation of appropriate network segmentation
• Careful monitoring of Kubernetes logs and events
• And if something should happen: An appropriate crisis response plan

To better understand these best practices, teams can be certified, for example by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation as a "Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist". In addition to following these best practices, using a security tool can help. There are both open source tools (e.g. kube-bench, kube-hunter) and commercial ones (e.g. Twistlock, Aqua Security) that help you to identify misconfigurations and risks in your Kubernetes cluster.

Overall, there are some risks associated with using Kubernetes, but the risk can be minimized if the platform is configured properly and operated securely. If you want to check whether your Kubernetes cluster is configured securely or if you are just getting started with Kubernetes and want to do everything right from the start, please contact [email protected].

Author

Tobias Krichel
Managing Consultant & Security IT expert