Citation:

Anirudh Mustyala, Sumanth Tatineni, 2021. "Advanced Security Mechanisms in Kubernetes: Isolation and Access Control Strategies" ESP Journal of Engineering & Technology Advancements  1(2): 57-68.

Abstract:

Kubernetes has emerged as a powerful platform for orchestrating containerized applications, but with its growing adoption, security concerns have become increasingly paramount. This paper explores advanced security mechanisms within Kubernetes, focusing on isolation and access control strategies designed to enhance the security posture of Kubernetes environments. Isolation techniques such as namespaces, network policies, and node isolation are critical in preventing unauthorized access and minimizing the attack surface. Sandboxing, through technologies like gVisor and Kata Containers, adds an additional layer of security by providing lightweight, isolated environments for container execution. These sandboxing tools effectively mitigate risks associated with container escapes and privilege escalation attacks. Access control mechanisms, including Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) are essential for managing permissions and ensuring that only authorized entities can perform specific actions within the cluster. By defining granular policies, administrators can enforce the principle of least privilege, significantly reducing the risk of insider threats and inadvertent misconfigurations. The paper also delves into network security strategies such as implementing service meshes with tools like Istio, which offer fine-grained control over inter-service communication and provide capabilities like mutual TLS (mTLS) for encrypting traffic. Additionally, Kubernetes' native secrets management and integration with external secret stores enhance the security of sensitive information within the cluster. By combining these advanced security features, Kubernetes can be fortified against a wide array of threats, ensuring robust and resilient application deployments. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of these mechanisms, offering practical insights and best practices for leveraging them to achieve a secure Kubernetes environment.

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Keywords:

Kubernetes, Security Mechanism, Access Control Strategies.