Just bought a toy truck with a yellow 'container' ?? on it. I wish cloud container security was as simple as child's play!

Here is a basic checklist for container security.

1. Image Vulnerability Scanning

• Perform regular vulnerability scans on all container images.
• Integrate the vulnerability scanning process into the CI/CD pipeline.
• Use updated tools for vulnerability scanning. (Use Trivy, Clair, etc.)
• Document all vulnerabilities and classify and prioritise based in risk not just severity.
• Minimize the use of third-party packages or libraries.
• Establish a process for handling (communicating and mitigating) vulnerabilities based on risk
• Ensure vulnerability information is easily accessible and understandable by the developers and operation teams through a centralised reporting portal with RBAC.

2. Image Configuration Management

• Use minimal base images for your containers to reduce the attack surface.
• Do not store secrets in images; use secrets management tools.
• Use secure vaults or orchestration secrets objects for managing sensitive information.
• Regularly update images with the latest patches.
• Limit privileges given to containers (e.g., avoid running containers as root).
• Harden images using CIS benchmark.

3. Container Runtime Security

• Use security profiles and context like AppArmor, SELinux, or seccomp to limit capabilities.
• Don't run containers with root privileges; set user-level permissions.
• Limit system calls that containers can make.
• Monitor and audit container runtime activities.
• Ensure inter-container communication is secure.
• Set up intrusion detection mechanisms and alerts.
• Enforce runtime policies to prevent unauthorized activities.
• Avoid sharing of resources such as network and PID namespaces between containers.
• Implement read-only file systems whenever possible.
• Implement resource limitations (CPU, memory, etc.) to prevent resource exhaustion attacks.

4. Supply Chain Security

• Verify all third-party software, libraries, and dependencies.
• Use signed images to ensure image integrity.
• Use a private registry for storing and distributing images.

5. Infrastructure Security

• Secure the host system running the containers.
• Implement network segmentation to limit the blast radius of attacks.
• Protect the container orchestration platform (like Kubernetes API server).
• Regularly patch and update host systems.

6. Host Security

• Keep the host system updated with the latest patches.
• Segregate containers on different hosts based on the sensitivity of their data.
• Limit the resources that can be consumed by containers.
• Use the principle of least privilege for container access to host resources.
• Use strong authentication and authorisation controls.

7. Orchestration Security

• Use role-based access control (RBAC) in orchestration platforms.
• Regularly review and limit permissions for service accounts.
• Use secure, authenticated and encrypted communications within the orchestration platform.
• Regularly update and patch orchestration tools like Kubernetes.
• Implement admission controllers to intercept requests to the Kubernetes API server before the persistence of the object.

8. Incident Response

• Have a well-defined incident response plan.
• Ensure teams are equipped to handle incidents, including understanding vulnerability reports.
• Practice incident response procedures regularly.
• Learn from incidents and refine the response plan accordingly.

9. Compliance and Auditing

• Make sure to comply with all applicable industry regulations (PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, etc.)
• Regularly audit the system for adherence to security practices.
• Document all changes, breaches, incidents, and resolutions.

10. Continuous Improvement

• Continuously learn from vulnerabilities and incidents to improve security posture.
• Implement a security awareness program within the organisation.
• Stay updated with the latest security trends and best practices in the container space.

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