Cloud Native Security: Practices, Threats & Principles
Summarize With:
Enterprise systems evolve continually, providing users with better features and greater outcomes. Among many, cloud-native systems strengthen organizations in building dynamic environments supporting agile development frameworks. Cloud-native means creating and running apps through cloud computing rather than having an on-premises data center. As the traditional method of running applications is diminishing, the same IT security practices cannot safeguard cloud-native applications.
Instead, cloud native security should be implemented to protect the applications. This article will elaborate on all the factors of cloud native security, including its various types, principles, benefits, and strategies.
What is Cloud Native Security?
Cloud native security is the practice and steps to ensure security is considered and implemented throughout the entire cloud-native application lifecycle. This integration includes modifying teams, processes, and infrastructure for building applications. Cloud native security aims to identify and eradicate vulnerabilities in the existing cloud environment.
Four C's of Cloud Native Security
There are four layers in cloud native security, each building on the next layer. These layers are cloud, cluster, container, and code, and they are often considered the four C's of cloud native security.
- Cloud: In many cases, the cloud is the computational base of a cluster, and keeping it secure is essential for cloud-native security. Poor security practices in this base can compromise the security of any other component built on top of it. Considering that fact, many cloud providers recommend certain security practices that users should consider.
- Clusters: The cluster layer contains components, including the control plane, master nodes, services, and policies. Securing the workload comes under this layer, where the communication remains encrypted, and authentication requires TLS certificates. However, focusing on specific security areas is done based on the program's attack surface. These areas of concern include:
- RBAC authorization.
- Quality of service.
- Network policies.
- TLS secure keys.
- Cluster resource management.
- Container: Containers are small packages of code to run applications quickly. In the container layer, you can find container images that can be the leading cause of vulnerabilities like image security in the container. Apart from that, poor privilege configurations and usage of unknown sources also reduce container security. Rather than eradicating them, such issues are often overlooked by organizations.
To enhance container security, the foremost step should be timely updating the containers. Scanning the applications running in the containers is also a major security action. If you intend to use an image, make sure that it comes from a reliable source, or it can compromise the container security.
- Code: The code layer offers the most security control in cloud-native security applications. Issues like insecure code, issues in third-party software dependencies, poor risk assessment, and many others exist in the code layer. Being a significant layer in cloud-native applications, it is one of the top attack surfaces.
Using a static code analysis tool seems efficient for ensuring safe coding practices. However, these tools may overlook vulnerabilities in third-party dependencies. Using a software composition analysis tool can help you find issues in all such dependencies.
Types of Cloud Native Security
Cloud native security is of different types, but the core motive is to protect cloud-native applications. The following are the types of cloud-native security solutions available.
- Network Security: Cloud-native ecosystems utilize several networks. Network security focuses on avoiding attacks from outside the network by separating one network from the other. Furthermore, granting or denial of access falls under network security.
- Data Encryption: To avoid data leakage from the organization, the organizational data should be encrypted, including the data in transit and at rest. However, a single encryption algorithm should not be used as it can cause major vulnerabilities regarding data security. Instead, various algorithms should be deployed for utmost security.
- Disaster Recovery Policy: Disasters like floods and earthquakes are unpredictable and can damage the hardware. Though disasters are inevitable, organizations can prepare for such calamities. Organizations should have a disaster recovery policy to ensure minimal damage from disasters.
- Security Scans: Security vulnerabilities can seep in when security practices are overlooked. Frequent security scans ensure that security vulnerabilities are identified before they cause any major tussle. Both commercial and open-source tools can be used for such scans.
What are Existing Threats to Cloud Native Applications?
The implementation of cloud native security is to enhance the overall security of applications and protect them from threats. However, the best security practices can only be applied when professionals know the threats they can face. With that in mind, here are the biggest threats to cloud-native applications.
1. Data Privacy:
Cloud-native applications run on the cloud. Cloud service providers have admin access to the services they provide. In other words, they can access the data without notifying the client. This issue makes data privacy and protection a tussle for the user in cloud-native environments. Cloud-native security practices like monitoring logs, limited data transfer authorization, and frequent database auditing can help fix data privacy issues.
2. Unauthorized Access:
Cloud-native applications may have unsecured APIs which can be accessed through a public domain. When left unchecked, they can be the leading cause of unauthorized access to application data. With cloud-native security, users can implement additional security features to prevent unwanted users from accessing sensitive data.
3. Improper Configuration:
One of the leading causes of server breaches is using default configuration during or after application deployment. Many applications come with such configurations, and attackers are also aware of them. To gain access to the server, they can exploit these settings to break through security layers.
Cloud infrastructure may be shared by several applications simultaneously. If an attacker successfully enters one application, it becomes easier for them to access data of other applications on the same server.
Cloud Native Security Principles
Cloud native security is based on three principles targeted toward cloud deployment safety. The essence of these principles is that the higher time you let the attack stay in, the higher the severity of damage will become. Rather than waiting, this implies taking action quickly. These principles are also recognized as the 3 R's of cloud security, explained below.
1. Rotate:
Credentials are the only way to a severe attack on the cloud. Changing them after a few hours or minutes is not feasible for the personnel. The solution is to rotate the data center's credentials every few minutes. Automated services, individuals, or any other credentials should be rotated for cloud-native security. Though rotation prevents credential leakage, it makes the process tedious for attackers.
2. Repave:
The software requires patching to resolve an issue or implement better security. Rather than patching the software, repave guides the user to repair the stack by eradicating old virtual machines and containers and rebuilding them. However, servers and applications in the data center should be rebuilt using a secure state.
3. Repair:
Repave is implemented to fix vulnerable components of the software. However, securing the software from vulnerabilities should be the priority to make the system more secure. Post finding a vulnerability, the program and system should be repaired on priority to diminish the attack area and prevent vulnerability exploitation.
Cloud Native Security Controls
Cloud native security controls are of different types, which help enhance the overall security of the applications. These security controls are divided into several categories that are explained below:
1. Preventive Controls:
As the name suggests, these cloud-native security controls help prevent application attacks. These preventive controls include security software, preventive policies, and automated scripts. They work by securing the network access control while reducing the attack surface area.
2. Workload Controls:
Workload controls handle the secure libraries, repositories, container images, and approved packages in the cloud-native environment. In addition, the data is tracked continuously with each update. Each version should be controlled separately if the workload is distributed across several clients.
3. Deterrent Controls:
Vulnerabilities do not arise on their own, rather, they are repercussions of an action by the user. Deterrent controls notify the users of their actions that cause any malicious activity or vulnerability in the application. Not only do they alert the user, but such controls help block such attacks so that the user may not move forward with such actions, eradicating the possibility of unintentional compromise of cloud-native applications' security.
4. Detective Controls:
Detective controls aim to identify any unusual behavior in the application's components for any security vulnerability. Procedures, software, detection systems, and policies are included in detective controls. Furthermore, these controls monitor the open ports, applications, and servers' behavior.
5. Corrective Controls:
Security breaches are the primary step in accessing application data. Corrective controls are activated whenever there is a security breach where they blacklist the compromised IP address or block ports through which the attack came.
Strategies for Cloud Native Security
Rather than randomly implementing cloud native security, organizations follow specific strategies to ensure effective security. The following are the best and most commonly used strategies for cloud-native security.
1. Collaborative Work in Security
Cloud native security is a comprehensive approach that requires a cultural shift that includes managing the security and development team. Collaboration between these two teams is essential for integrating security into the process.
Even though the developer's primary focus is to build a functional application, they should work with security teams to learn basic security concepts. Similarly, security teams should follow the same approach and understand the processes and tools of development.
With this approach, the security teams can test, develop, and deploy applications securely while the developers can integrate security practices while developing to ensure better security in the application.
2. Multi-Layered Security
Several breaches occur via different layers in the network. The multi-layered security approach utilizes network monitoring to identify and fix threats. Monitoring every network layer should be the goal of every security team. Security teams can use different tools to prevent attacks and create plans for any successful security breach.
3. Shift Left Approach
One of the best ways to enhance the security of an application is through the shift left approach. In this approach, the development teams should focus on using security practices in the early development stages and ensure the code is safe before being sent to production. Adapting to this approach is made easier by using the latest security tools that can cope with cloud-native application development's rising speed and scalability.
Organizations use serverless functions to make the development process easier and faster. Though they help in accomplishing their goals, the downside of such features is that they have security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Cloud-native security strategy also includes avoiding serverless features as much as possible to prevent attacks.
4. Secure Dependency
Open-source dependencies are often found in application code repositories. Automated tools that use comprehensive vulnerability databases can be used to safeguard application dependencies. Maintaining security during development can be done using a cloud-native orchestration tool. Preventing vulnerable dependency packages into a container into production using the same tools continuously.
Cloud Native Security Services by ThinkSys
Handling cloud native security by yourself can take time and effort. Let the professionals at ThinkSys help you with our proficient cloud-native security services. Our end-to-end cloud-native security service can enhance the existing cloud-native environment for better security and protection against cyberattacks. ThinkSys is proficient in delivering IaaS, CaaS, SaaS, and PaaS services.
ThinkSys follows a reliable approach where our professionals integrate security and practices in the development phase rather than leaving it for the QA stage. This approach ensures a higher success rate, reduced cyberattacks, and better issues identification and remediation. Here are the different ways and approaches we can help your cloud native application security.
- Container scanning.
- Secure cloud migration.
- Threat management.
- Identity and Access Management.
- Vulnerability assessment.
- Usage of leading tools.
- In-depth reports on vulnerability.
FAQ
Q1: Why is cloud native security crucial?
In this technologically advanced time, threats are evolving continually. Organizations need a cloud-native security approach to safeguard applications from emerging threats or attacks.
Q2: What is the difference between traditional security and a cloud-native approach?
The traditional security approach is fixing the threat after the team identifies it. Moreover, traditional security takes a while to adapt to change. On the other hand, cloud-native is an entirely different approach where the security team eradicates the conditions essential for the malware to survive.
Q3: What are the best tools for Cloud Native Security?
Using the right tools is essential for better cloud-native security. The following are the leading tools that you should be using.
a. Curiefense.
b. Clair.
c. Open Policy Agent.
d. Pacu.
e. Falco.
a. Curiefense.
b. Clair.
c. Open Policy Agent.
d. Pacu.
e. Falco.