Over the last decade, containerized workloads and Kubernetes (K8s) have taken the software world by storm. Unfortunately, as Kubernetes becomes a staple of enterprise architecture, it becomes a high-value target for threat actors.
Container security in general, and Kubernetes security in particular, is a fundamental aspect of enterprise security posture today. This article will explore Kubernetes runtime security, one of the most critical aspects of K8s security, including seven essential K8s runtime security best practices.
Kubernetes runtime security is the set of tools, practices, and technologies that protect running container workloads on Kubernetes.
In other words, Kubernetes runtime security is a subcategory of workload protection and container security. Kubernetes runtime security deals with security from container instantiation to termination. That means runtime security includes things like whether or not containers run as root (they should not!), but does not cover topics like container image scanning.
Because there are so many types of applications running on K8s today, there’s no one-size-fits-all set of runtime security risks for containers or Kubernetes. However, there is a set of Kubernetes runtime security challenges common to most enterprises.
Here are four common security risks related to runtime container security on Kubernetes:
Kubernetes offers a limited set of native tools and controls that can limit runtime risk. These include:
Because native Kubernetes runtime security tools don’t directly address use cases like real-time threat detection, many enterprises depend on more robust workload protection tooling.
These six Kubernetes runtime best practices can help enterprises limit many K8s security threats.
Of course, no aspect of security exists in a vacuum. Runtime security is important, but security starts well before a container is instantiated. Some of the aforementioned Kubernetes runtime security best practices make that clear, and the concept of shift-left security drives the point home. Integrating security early in the development lifecycle and following through with robust runtime protection provide the best of both worlds.
CloudGuard Workload Protection is a platform that provides the end-to-end protection with centralized management that enterprises need for Kubernetes containers and serverless functions.
Benefits of CloudGuard Workload Protection include:
To learn more about CloudGuard Workload Protection, sign up for a container security demo today. In the demo, you’ll learn about key container security concepts such as IaC scanning, automated runtime protection, and security across all clouds.