Kubernetes Security Deep Dive
Kubernetes is growing in popularity every day, and at the same time, concerns regarding its security are also increasing. In Kubernetes, the cluster is fully API-driven, so controlling who can access the cluster and what can be done is the first shield of defence. In Kubernetes, to ensure security, all API communication is encrypted by default using TLS (Transport Layer Security), thus preventing man-in-the-middle attacks. User authentication is achieved by attaching the user to a role, which defines specific permissions for accessing particular resources within the cluster. Additionally, resource limitations such as CPU, memory, and persistent volumes can be set to control pods, services, and volumes within a specific namespace, thus protecting against DoS (Denial of Service) attacks. Network policies can also be defined to control pod communication to other pods or external services, thus preventing malicious access to other pods by attackers gaining access to a compromised pod. The security context in the pod definition file allows specifying the user ID or group ID to run the container or process as the specified user, limiting its access. It also defines specific capabilities to drop to reduce the attack surface.
Challenges Faced
We are facing challenges when the cluster becomes larger and more and more containers are deployed in it. One of the challenges facing Kubernetes is using the default Kubernetes settings, which have a higher chance of unauthorised access. Configuring network policies properly to access pods to communicate with other pods and external services is essential, but unrestricted network access is a challenge in the conventions of security. Kubernetes Api vulnerability is a potential vulnerability point where attackers can access vulnerable API endpoints, resulting in enormous cyber attacks. Managing user and service accounts, as well as defining permissions for resources in roles, is also a challenge. Additionally, scanning container images to check for vulnerabilities and only allowing approved images to be deployed needs regular vulnerability scanning, which is a challenge. Regularly updating the Kubernetes cluster with patches and security updates is necessary to avoid known vulnerabilities, but it isn’t easy to implement regularly. Configuring and hardening the overall cluster, including securing etcd and Kubelet, is also challenging.
Introducing Neuvector
NeuVector was developed to solve the problems with conventional security measures. It is a container security platform designed to handle security issues in Kubernetes-running environments. NeuVector offers run-time security for containers by keeping an eye on their behavior and searching for abnormalities. It provides both network segmentation and micro-segmentation for network security. permits container-to-container communication to be regulated through the enforcement of network policies. It detects and halts privilege escalation by reviewing the security policies within the container. To facilitate the scanning process, it uses scanning to check images for vulnerabilities and enforces rules so that only approved images can be used. It monitors the API server and looks for any unusual activity to protect it. It provides logging and monitoring features to track container activity, identify security incidents, and generate alerts. It detects OWASP’s top 10 WAF attacks. NeuVector provides a container security platform that monitors and manages multiple Kubernetes clusters through a single interface where users can configure policies, view security findings, and perform compliance checks. Therefore, it acts as a better solution for securing applications in a containerized environment than the conventional security method offers. Prepare for an even more in-depth exploration in the upcoming blog. Stay tuned for a comprehensive overview of NeuVector in the upcoming blog.
