Azure Kubernetes Service

AKS Security

Summary

Module Overview

This module dives into the core components and best practices for strengthening the security posture of your AKS cluster.

  1. Azure Networking Fundamentals

    • Design and configure Virtual Networks (VNets), subnets, and Network Security Groups (NSGs)
    • Leverage private clusters and service endpoints to isolate AKS control plane and workloads
  2. AKS Networking Modes

    • Kubernetes’ built-in kube-proxy with basic networking
    • Azure Container Networking Interface (CNI) for advanced IP management and VNet integration
  3. Network Policies

    • Apply Calico or Azure-native policies for granular pod-to-pod and namespace traffic control
    • Enforce egress and ingress rules to limit attack surfaces
  4. Service Mesh Integration

    • Implement Istio or Open Service Mesh (OSM)
    • Gain mutual TLS, traffic encryption, observability, and policy enforcement
  5. Identity and Access Management (IAM)

    • Integrate Azure Active Directory (AAD) for user and service principal authentication
    • Define Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for least-privilege permissions
    • Secure the Kubernetes API with Azure Private Link and Managed Identities
  6. Azure Defender for Containers

    • Enable threat protection to detect anomalous behavior and suspicious activity
    • Monitor vulnerabilities in container images and running workloads via Microsoft Defender
  7. Azure Policy for AKS Governance

    • Enforce compliance rules on resource configurations, container image sources, and network settings
    • Implement policy initiatives for audit, deny, or append actions on non-conforming resources

Next Steps

CI/CD pipelines for AKS will be covered in the upcoming module. Plan your DevSecOps workflows to automate security checks and deployments.

Watch Video

Watch video content

Previous
Azure Policy for AKS