Demystifying Cloud-Native Security: Exploring the Power of the 4C's

Security can be conceptualized as a multi-layered strategy. The 4C's of Cloud Native security encompass Cloud, Clusters, Containers, and Code. This layered strategy complements the widely recognized defense-in-depth approach to cybersecurity, considered a best practice for safeguarding software systems.

Each layer within the Cloud Native security model relies on the layer that surrounds it. The Code layer, in particular, derives its security strength from the solid foundation provided by the security layers at the Cloud, Cluster, and Container levels. Addressing security concerns solely at the Code level cannot adequately protect against vulnerabilities present in the underlying base layers.

Apart from the 4C's, it's crucial to also consider embracing a "Shift Left" security approach, which involves incorporating security into the development and deployment phases at the earliest stages. This approach aids in the early detection and remediation of security vulnerabilities, preventing them from reaching the production environment.

Lets take a quick look at each of the "C’s" and learn some fundamentals

Code security

• Use secure coding practices, such as input validation and error handling.
• Developer should use IDE plugin like Sonar Lint , dev skim and pre commit hooks like talisman to push
• Perform SCA to scan third party libraries used in code .
• Use a secure build pipeline that includes vulnerability scanning of code.
• Scan the code by performing static Application Security Testing (SAST)

Container security

• Use a secure base image, such as one from a trusted vendor.
• Scan container images for vulnerabilities using a vulnerability scanner.
• Ensure that containers do not run with a privileged user account, so they do not have root access to the host machine.
• Follow best practices to write Docker file

Cluster security

• Use strong authentication and authorization mechanisms, such as role-based access control (RBAC).
• Configure the cluster securely, such as by disabling unnecessary features and hardening the underlying operating system.
• Enforce custom policy for Kubernetes using open policy agent OPA Gatekeeper
• Use Kube-bench to evaluate the security configuration of Kubernetes clusters
• Consider storing secret in vault or cloud provider secret manager , avoid to store secret in cluster
• Monitor the cluster for suspicious activity (e.g. using Falco), such as unauthorized access attempts and unusual spikes in resource usage.
• Don't allow the service to service communication for all , define Network Policies and open communication between services as per requirment . Service mesh Istio or Consul also can be used .

Cloud

• Use strong authentication and authorization mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Configure the cloud environment securely, such as by disabling unnecessary features and hardening the underlying infrastructure.
• Monitor the cloud environment for suspicious activity, such as unauthorized access attempts and unusual spikes in resource usage.
• It involves configuring cloud resources, networks, and identity and access management (IAM) to protect against unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats. Techniques like network segmentation, encryption, and monitoring play a crucial role in cloud security.
• Continuously monitor the workload using AWS GuardDuty , Microsoft Defender etc.

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