What Is Kubernetes Security Posture Management (KSPM)? | Palo Alto Networks

Kubernetes security posture management (KSPM) — designed for Kubernetes platforms and Kubernetes-based container orchestration systems — is a proactive approach to container security aimed at enhancing the security of Kubernetes clusters and workloads.

KSPM encompasses key aspects such as configuration management, policy enforcement, compliance monitoring, vulnerability management, threat detection, and incident response. By ensuring secure configurations and addressing vulnerabilities in container images and components, KSPM minimizes the risk of security breaches. As well, it can proactively identify and remediate issues caused by human errors, such as misconfigurations in network security policies, out-of-date software, uninstalled security patches, and unencrypted sensitive data.

Related Article: 6 Common Kubernetes and Container Attack Techniques and How to Prevent Them

What Is the Importance of KSPM?

With the widespread adoption of Kubernetes for managing containerized applications, the need for powerful security measures to protect against potential threats has become vital. This need arises from the inherent complexities and potential misconfigurations in Kubernetes environments that can expose organizations to security risks.

Attacks like those on Colonial Pipeline, SolarWinds, and Twitch have gained notoriety and underscored the importance of security within cloud infrastructure. But the complexity of cloud infrastructure, as well as the growing adoption of Kubernetes, has increased the attack surface.

Security concerns no longer revolve around networking and patching vulnerable operating systems. Instead, the software delivery process has become a vector for attack and must be hardened in all aspects of cloud infrastructure. To achieve hardening, KSPM focuses on the four “Cs” of cloud-native security — cloud, clusters, containers, and code. By securing each of these — from the underlying cloud infrastructure to the code that powers applications — KSPM ensures a resilient and secure cloud-native environment.

Related Article: Why Kubernetes Security Posture Management (KSPM) Is Essential to Cloud-Native Security

KSPM & the Four Cs

KSPM provides a robust and detailed security framework for cloud-native environments by addressing the critical aspects of cloud, clusters, containers, and code. Its integration with cloud provider APIs, Kubernetes security mechanisms, container runtime defenses, and code scanning tools ensures a comprehensive and proactive approach to securing modern applications. By implementing KSPM, organizations can significantly enhance their security posture, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations, all while maintaining the agility and efficiency of their cloud-native development processes.

Cloud

KSPM addresses cloud security by integrating deeply with cloud service provider APIs, enabling continuous security assessments and automated remediation actions. It leverages cloud-native features like AWS CloudTrail, Azure Security Center, and Google Cloud Security Command Center to monitor and log activities.

KSPM audits IAM policies, ensuring least-privilege access and detecting anomalies in user behavior. It implements policies to enforce encryption of data at rest using KMS (Key Management Services) and data in transit with SSL/TLS. Additionally, KSPM performs continuous configuration checks against industry standards such as CIS Benchmarks and NIST guidelines, identifying and remediating misconfigurations that could lead to vulnerabilities.

Clusters

KSPM provides DevSecOps teams with the security tools they need to protect Kubernetes environments and Kubernetes clusters from many common causes of security incidents.

In Kubernetes clusters, KSPM ensures security through a layered approach. It begins with securing the Kubernetes API server by enforcing strict authentication and authorization policies using RBAC (role-based access control) and ABAC (attribute-based access control).

KSPM continuously scans for vulnerabilities in the control plane components, such as etcd, kube-scheduler, kub-apiserver, and kube-controller-manager, ensuring they’re patched and configured correctly. KSPM tools restrict node access to the etcd and encrypt data at rest in the etcd to ensure that only secure API server requests are accepted. This prevents foundational Kubernetes cluster components from being compromised to gain control of the entire cluster.

Network policies are enforced using Kubernetes NetworkPolicy resources to isolate workloads and prevent unauthorized inter-pod communication. KSPM also monitors the cluster’s audit logs for suspicious activities, such as privilege escalations and unauthorized access attempts, enabling rapid incident response.

Containers

KSPM’s container security starts with rigorous image scanning. It integrates with CI/CD pipelines and scans container images for known vulnerabilities (CVEs) before they’re deployed. It enforces policies to prevent the use of images from untrusted registries and ensures all images comply with organizational security standards. During runtime, KSPM utilizes eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) technology to monitor system calls and detect anomalous behaviors, such as unauthorized file access or unexpected network connections. It also implements runtime security policies to enforce container isolation and prevent privilege escalation.

Code

For code security, KSPM integrates with source code repositories and CI/CD systems to perform static application security testing (SAST). It identifies vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and insecure deserialization within the codebase. KSPM enforces code review processes and integrates with dependency management tools to scan for vulnerabilities in third-party libraries and frameworks. Additionally, KSPM leverages infrastructure as code (IaC) scanning tools like TerraScan or Checkov to ensure that infrastructure configurations, defined in Terraform, CloudFormation, or ARM templates, adhere to security best practices and compliance requirements.

Vulnerabilities Addressed with Kubernetes Security Posture Management

KSPM addresses several challenges and security threats.

• Containers built from images containing known vulnerabilities or misconfigurations and deployed into production before being scanned and hardened
• Errors in the pod deployment manifest
• Excessive access permissions
• Increased attack surface (e.g., Kubernetes API server, etcd, network plugins, and container runtimes)
• Insufficient segmentation of network traffic between pods and namespaces
• Malicious actors with cluster access
• Misconfigurations with Kubernetes components (e.g., the API server and etcd)

How Does Kubernetes Security Posture Management Work?

KSPM operates as a component of a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP), which provides end-to-end cloud security. As part of CNAPP, KSPM ensures that the Kubernetes environment is protected by identifying and reporting security issues, such as misconfigurations and other vulnerabilities. The following core security functions performed by KSPM illustrate the workings of KSPM.

Security Policy Configuration

With a KSPM solution, a number of predefined security policies are provided as templates. Security teams often use these as starting points to create customized policies. Custom policies can be created, such as RBAC policies for enforcing the principle of least privilege.

Policy Configuration Scanning

Established security policies become configuration rules that automate scans of Kubernetes resources such as pods, containers, services, and deployments. KSPM tools continuously scan to identify policy violations, misconfigurations, and security risks. These scans also assess Kubernetes assets when policies are updated or new policies are added.

Policy Violation Assessment and Alerting

KSPM tools assess the severity of identified policy violations and can trigger automated responses. For instance, simple anomalies that are not rated as serious issues can be logged for future remediation, while real-time alerts can be sent to security teams when threats or vulnerabilities require immediate action.

Policy Violation Remediation

For policy violations that require immediate response, KSPM tools can be set to take automated action. A commonly used KSPM automated response is automatically removing service accounts associated with inactive users.

What Are the Key Components and Functions of an Effective KSPM Solution?

Categorization of Risks

When vulnerabilities are detected, KSPM solutions categorize them based on their severity level. Baselines are provided out of the box, and administrators can add or change them to accommodate the nuances of their environment.

Central Control Panel

A KSPM should include a dashboard that provides a comprehensive view of the security posture for the Kubernetes environment from a single pane of glass. It should also include a compliance view that shows scan results and highlights areas that need remediation to meet requirements.

Integrated Security Orchestration and Automation

The KSPM solution should integrate with existing security technologies, such as security orchestration and automation. This will allow administrators to streamline and automate security processes and workflows across Kubernetes environments. Key functionality includes enforcement of security policies, incident response, compliance reporting, security configuration management, and vulnerability scanning across all Kubernetes components.

Notifications

KSPM solutions generate notifications of policy violations based on severity levels. If the severity level is low, the notification can be sent to a log for future consideration, such as an inactive user. For more pressing violations, administrators can be sent an alert, such as if a container containing sensitive information has been exposed. These alerts can be sent through the control panel, SMS, email, or other communication channels based on the security team’s workflow.

Rules-Based Analysis

A built-in set of rules is used to assess data collected by scanners. This analysis of security across the Kubernetes environment includes reviews of access management, compliance, container security, and network segmentation.

Scanning Tools

A KSPM solution includes tools to scan the various components in a Kubernetes environment to detect policy violations based on predefined rules set in the policy engine. These tools provide continuous monitoring to enable real-time or asynchronous responses based on the severity of the violation.

Tools to Define Security Policies

KSPM solutions have a policy engine to define and manage the rules that the system enforces, such as access controls, network policies, and permissions. Most KSPM solutions provide templates to jumpstart policy creation and offer capabilities that allow administrators to customize them or add new ones as needed.

Validation of Third-Party Configurations

A critical feature of KSPM solutions is the ability to scan third-party resources for potential security issues. This includes bugs in systems and software as well as misconfigurations.

Visualization and Reporting

KSPM tools provide reporting capabilities to support system management and maintenance and to meet compliance requirements. Reports on Kubernetes environments’ security posture include incident reporting, performance metrics, compliance status, and trend analysis. These are presented in graphical dashboards that provide visibility across all Kubernetes components.

Remediation and Recommendations

KSPM tools expedite incident response. When security or compliance violations are detected, the system can either automatically remediate them or provide recommended remediation options.

Factors to Consider When Evaluating KSPM Solutions

When evaluating KSPM solutions, consider the following key factors:

• Automation and scalability capabilities should be available to streamline security processes and scale effortlessly as the Kubernetes infrastructure grows.
• Options for integrating the KSPM solution with existing security tools and systems are important to ensure comprehensive coverage.
• Real-time visibility and monitoring should be available to provide insights on security events, potential threats, and anomalies, enabling proactive detection and response to security incidents.
• Security features should cover secure cluster configuration, access control and authentication, container image security, network security, and auditing capabilities.
• User-friendliness and the availability of vendor support should be commensurate with the security team’s capabilities and needs.

KSPM Vs. CSPM

Kubernetes security posture management and cloud security posture management (CSPM) are complementary approaches to ensuring the security and compliance of modern cloud-native infrastructures. While they share similarities in their goals, they differ in their focus areas and techniques.

KSPM centers on the security aspects of Kubernetes clusters and workloads, helping organizations maintain and enhance their Kubernetes environments. KSPM is tailored to the unique challenges and complexities of Kubernetes, ensuring that the orchestration platform is secure, compliant, and efficient.

CSPM focuses on the broader cloud infrastructure, including virtual machines, storage, networking, and other cloud services. It aims to identify and remediate misconfigurations, enforce security policies, maintain compliance with industry standards, and provide visibility into the overall security posture of the cloud environment. CSPM is applicable across various cloud platforms, such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

In practice, most organizations employ both KSPM and CSPM tools and methodologies to create a unified security framework. By integrating the two approaches, they gain a holistic view of their infrastructure's security posture, addressing vulnerabilities and threats in Kubernetes and broader cloud environments.

Integrating KSPM Tools with Existing Security Infrastructure

Security systems and tools must be integrated with KSPM solutions to provide holistic container security across multicloud Kubernetes deployments. KSPM tools can be integrated with any number of other security solutions, such as vulnerability and risk scanners for container images, cloud workload protection platforms (CWPP), log analysis tools, and incident response systems.

Best Practices for KSPM

By implementing KSPM best practices, organizations can create a resilient security framework that not only protects their Kubernetes environments but also supports compliance, operational efficiency, cost management, and trust.

Continuous Monitoring and Vulnerability Management

Scan Kubernetes continuously to identify potential security issues that often arise in these dynamic environments where changes are ongoing.

Engage Ethical Hackers for Vulnerability Testing

KSPM monitoring should be bolstered with penetration testing to proactively identify vulnerabilities that fall outside the scope of policy rules. Human-conducted pentesting can also help surface security gaps and misconfigurations that KSPM tools can miss.

Ensure Comprehensive Visibility

Be sure that KSPM tools have visibility to all components and configurations in the Kubernetes environment, including RBAC, workloads, nodes, API events, and the control plane.

Implement Strong Authentication

Use strong authentication mechanisms, such as certificate-based authentication or multifactor authentication. Couple this with RBAC to enforce granular permissions that restrict access to only the specific information that authorized users need. RBAC also ensures tight controls over user account management, such as removing inactive users, those who have left the organization, and compromised service accounts.

Conduct RBAC Audits

Regularly review all RBAC policies and permissions to ensure that they reflect current requirements. This is an opportunity to identify policy gaps as well as improper or outdated permissions.

Monitor CI/CD Pipelines

Use a KSPM solution to monitor the fast-paced CI/CD pipeline where workloads are constantly being spun up for software updates. Rather than checking processes after they’re complete, use KSPM tools to ensure security integrity before moving Kubernetes components to production.

Update Policy Rules Regularly

The efficacy of KSPM tools depends on the accuracy of policy rules and configurations. It is, therefore, imperative to keep these up to date to account for changes in the environment and the threat landscape.

KSPM Use Cases

These examples illustrate how a KSPM solution can improve security across Kubernetes deployments.

Detect Violations of Network Security Policies

KSPM tools can be used to detect failures to implement and enforce microsegmentation policies, which could allow unauthorized users or workloads to access Kubernetes resources.

Flag Compliance Issues

Continuous, real time monitoring and policy enforcement capabilities allow KSPM to avoid potential violations of laws and industry standards, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS, with automated compliance management within Kubernetes clusters.

KSPM Scores to Measure the Health of Kubernetes Clusters

KSPM tools can generate a score that helps cloud security DevSecOps teams understand their Kubernetes security and compliance status. The score measures the security posture of Kubernetes clusters based on several risk types, including namespace isolation, egress access, high-risk images, and control failures.

Recommend or Automate Remediation

Administrators can build in incident response policies that trigger an action when KSPM tools detect an issue, such as suggesting remediation steps or even automatically mitigating the threat.

Kubernetes Security Posture Management (KSPM) FAQs