Implementing eBPF Cilium network policies, mutual TLS with Istio, rootless container security, and automated vulnerability gating.
"Default Kubernetes deployments allow all pods to communicate unrestricted across namespaces. In this guide, we detail how to implement defense-in-depth zero-trust security using eBPF and automated CI/CD gating."
The Danger of Default Kubernetes Networking
In a standard Kubernetes cluster, any pod can connect to any other pod across namespaces. If an attacker breaches a single public-facing web container, they can query internal databases, metadata endpoints, and internal microservices.
Implementing eBPF Network Policies with Cilium:
Eliminate slow iptables rules in favor of kernel-level eBPF packet inspection.Enforce strict default-deny network policies where services can only communicate over explicitly whitelisted ports and protocols.Terminate mutual TLS (mTLS) with cryptographically verifiable SPIFFE/SPIRE service identities.