Thursday, June 17, 2021

How Secure is Your Kubernetes Platform?

kubernetes developer


Kubernetes is a very difficult platform for making applications and it requires a lot of configuration processes. To keep your kubernetes workflow secure and safe, especially when it comes to the production environment of the application, you will need to keep in mind the important architectural vulnerabilities and the platform dependencies. To ensure this, you will need to keep the best workplace security installed into your application.


In this article, we will be talking about some of the main kubernetes security practices and how one can make use of them entirely. These practices include, 

  • Enabling role-based control access

  • Using third party authentication when you are using API servers 

  • Isolating kubernetes nodes

  • ETCD and TSL firewalls protection

  • Keeping complete monitoring to the traffic communication limitations

  • Whitelisting of the entire process

  • Keep the newest version updated into your application

  • Turning on the audit logging

  • Locking down kubernetes

  • Securing your kubernetes with aqua


Let's start. 


1. Enabling role-based control access - With the help of role-based control access in your kubernetes system, you can easily access the API codes for kubernetes and what their permissions are. Role-based controls usually enable the use of kubernetes 1.6 default and a much higher hosted controller of kubernetes providers. Kubernetes includes the authorization of controllers and when it is enabled with role-based controllers, it can easily disable the legacy of attribute based access controllers. 


When a kubernetes developer is using a role-based controller, then they prefer to use the namespace and specific permission, instead of the cluster of permissions. This comes even while debugging a system, one can not give access to the clustered administrative system privileges. It is better for a developer to allow access to the necessary situations only.


2. Using third party authentication when you are using API servers - It is better if a certified kubernetes application developer integrates the entire system with a third party authentication provider. With the help of this authentication, additional security features are added and a multi factor authentication system is developed. This system makes sure that the kube-api servers are not changing their nature when users are added into them or removed. If it is possible for your developers, make sure that the users are not managed on the same API server levels and that there are differences. 


3. Isolating kubernetes nodes - When building an entire system with kubernetes, make sure that the kubernetes nodes have an entire separate network system. This makes sure it is not entirely exposed to the public networks. Make sure you do not even make direct connections with the general networking system. 


Isolating kubernetes nodes is only possible if the kubernetes control and data systems are isolated. If not, both the systems will flow form the same pipe and the open data access plan applies only to the controlling panel. Mostly, nodes are configured with the ingress controller panel alone. Your kubernetes application developers should only allow connection form the master node system and not to the specified port through which the network makes access to the control list. 


4. ETCD and TSL firewalls protection - Since the ETCD stores most of the state of the clustered information and its secrets. This becomes a very sensitive resource for attracting audiences that can hack the system easily. If any third party user gains access to the ETCD system, then they can gain control of the entire system as well as the clusters. 


Make sure to also set a firewall. This will be between the API servers and the ETCD clusters. To try this, run the ETCD on a different node system and use the Calico configuration mode for firewalling the node system. 


If you want to turn on the ETCD secrets with the encryption mode, you can do it by kube-api server processes. Enabling this is important for securing the ETCD clusters and it has to be done manually. 


5. Keeping complete monitoring to the traffic communication limitations - When one is centralizing an application, they generally have to use extensive cluster networks. Developers also need to keep observing the network traffic system and keep comparing it to the other traffic compared by the networking policy. This observation is necessary to understand how the application will interact and identify the anomalous communications. 


If at this time you also compare the traffic that is allowed, identify the networking policies that not are not actively being used by the networking clusters. The information found from this will help in strengthening the networking policies of your kubernetes.  This removes the unneeded connections of the attacking surfaces. 


6. Whitelisting process use - The process of whitelisting is an effective way of running the processes in the kubernetes system. First, you will need to make sure that the application has been identified over all the processes, this is done when the normal application behavior is running. This will help in whitelisting the application’s behavior. 


Since it is difficult to make the analysis of the running time processes, you will need to add in a lot of security solutions. These solutions will help you analyze the anomalies of the processes across all the clusters in the system. 


7. Turning on the audit logging - To make sure that the audit logging is enabled correctly, you will need to monitor the unusual monitoring API callings. This is especially needed when the authentication process fails. The logging in entries will help display a status message of the forbidden system. If the kubernetes system fails to make authorizations, then it means that the hackers are trying to steal the credentials. 


When it comes to kubernetes application development, the developer is passing on the files by the kube-api servers, then you will need to use the audit policies for filing the flags. This helps in turning on the audit loggins and also where the events are being logged in. One can set up about four loggings in the levels. 


When a developer needs to request the loggings, but no responses are coming. The requestresonses will have to be all three logs. With the help of kubernetes applications, the providers are gaining access to the information on consolations. And the setting up notifications are for authorization failures.


8. Locking down kubernetes - The kubernetes system needs to run on each nodding system separately. This is because the interactions between the container and runtime are for both nodes and pods. Each of the kubelet clusters will expose the API systems as well. If the users gain access to the API codes or any nodes, then the time for running codes are also used for clusters. They will then compromise the entire cluster system.


9. Securing your kubernetes with aqua - With the help of aqua tames, the complexity of kubernetes are or maintaining security in the kubernetes security posture management, and with this the use of advanced kubernetes runtime makes protection. With the use of aqua providers, kubernetes have native capabilities to achieve the policy driven full-lifecycles protection. 

This includes, 


  • Kubernetes security posture management. 

  • Automations with kubernetes security configuration and compliances.

  • Control the deployment of the pol that is based on K8s and risks. 

  • With the use of protection of the entire clusters and the agentless of the runtime for security.  

  • Use of the kubernetes security systems. 


10. Keeping the kubernetes version up to date - Running the version on the latest version of the kubernetes, there are a lot of known kubernetes vulnerabilities with the severity of the scores and this can not be found.


By not always running the upgrades of the kubernetes versions and the latest available versions. The upgrading of the kubernetes can become a very complex process. If a certified kubernetes developer has a hosted system has to be with the providers, and also check the provider handles with making sure of the automatic upgrades.  

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