Welcome to our presentation on Kubernetes Secrets and how Prisma Cloud enhances their security. We'll explore the fundamentals of Kubernetes Secrets, their importance in maintaining cluster security, and how Prisma Cloud's advanced features provide an extra layer of protection for your sensitive data.
Kubernetes Secrets are objects that store and manage sensitive information such as passwords, API tokens, and certificates. Secrets are created in much the same way as Pods. Although Secrets live out a very different life than that of a Pod, they are similar in the sense that they are also fundamental Kubernetes objects that can be created and torn down much like a Pod can be.
Unlike embedding sensitive data directly into application code or configuration files, Secrets lets you decouple confidential information from the application logic.
Secrets live out their lives in etcd., the central datastore for the entire Kubernetes system.
Figure 1: Kubernetes secret deployment_PaloAltoNetworks
Definition: Kubernetes Secrets are objects that store sensitive information, such as passwords, OAuth tokens, and SSH keys.
Purpose: They allow you to decouple sensitive information from your application code, improving security and flexibility.
Usage: Secrets can be mounted as volumes or exposed as environment variables to pods in your cluster.
Types: Kubernetes supports generic secrets, as well as specific types like TLS secrets and Docker registry credentials.
Opaque Secrets: Opaque is the default Secret type if you don't specify a type. It is versatile and can store any kind of sensitive data. It is used to store arbitrary user-defined data.
ServiceAccount Token Secrets: This type is used to provide long-lived ServiceAccount credentials to Pods. However, the recommended approach in Kubernetes v1.22 and later is to use the Token RequestAPI for short-lived tokens. It is used to store a token credential that identifies a ServiceAccount.
Basic Authentication Secrets: This type is specifically for storing a username and password for basic authentication. It is used to store credentials for basic authentication.
TLS Secrets: This type is commonly used to configure encryption in transit for an Ingress. It is used to store a certificate and its associated key for TLS.
Bootstrap Token Secrets: This type is used for tokens that sign well-known ConfigMaps during the bootstrap process. It is used to store tokens used during the node bootstrap process.
Secrets can either be defined via the kubectl CLI or manually via a YAML file.
If going the manual route, you’ll first need to encode the values that will be passed to the Secret:
Figure 2: K8S Secret password creation_PaloAltoNetworks
For example, we can encode the word “password” like so:
Figure 3: encode _PaloAltoNetworks
Then create a YAML file that defines a Secret. For example:
Notice that both our username and password values have been encoded.
Figure 4: SecretYAML_
And, finally, apply the Secret’s definition:
Figure 5: Kubernetes Secret apply_PaloAltoNetworks
Security Concerns: By default, Kubernetes secrets are stored in etcd. in base64 encoding, which is not encrypted. This poses potential security risks, if unauthorized access to etcd. is gained.
Access Control: Managing who can create, read, update, and delete secrets across a large cluster can be complex and prone to misconfigurations.
Auditing and Monitoring: Tracking secret usage and detecting potential breaches or misuse can be challenging without additional tools.
Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks is a Comprehensive Cloud Native Security Platform (CNSP) that provides end-to-end security and compliance for cloud environments, including IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and containerized workloads. It offers unified protection for multi-cloud and hybrid infrastructures to detect vulnerabilities, secure workloads, and ensure compliance.
1. Comprehensive Visibility
a. Provides detailed visibility into resources, traffic, and misconfigurations.
b. Real-time alerts and monitoring of security threats across cloud accounts.
2. Threat Detection and Prevention
a. Advanced threat detection using AI/ML for identifying anomalies.
b. Prevents unauthorized access, lateral movement, and privilege escalation.
3. Cloud Workload Protection (CWP)
a. Security for VMs, containers (e.g., Kubernetes), and serverless workloads.
b. Continuous scanning for vulnerabilities, runtime protection, and compliance checks.
4. Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
a. Automated checks for misconfigurations and compliance violations.
b. Supports frameworks such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, CIS Benchmarks, GDPR, etc.
5. Shift-Left Security
a. Integrates security into the development lifecycle (DevSecOps).
b. Ensures vulnerabilities in CI/CD pipelines and IaC templates are detected early.
6. Identity Security and IAM Governance
a. Manages and governs access across users, roles, and permissions.
b. Detects and alerts on over-permissioned identities and misuses.
7. Container and Kubernetes Security
a. Supports container image scanning and secure Kubernetes configurations.
b. Protects clusters against runtime attacks and unauthorized changes.
8. Compliance and Reporting
a. Generates reports for cloud security compliance audits.
b. Provides compliance dashboards to track status in real-time.
Encryption at Rest : Prisma Cloud ensures that secrets are encrypted before being stored in etcd, adding an extra layer of protection beyond base64 encoding.
Access Control and RBAC: Implements fine-grained access controls and integrates with Kubernetes RBAC to manage secret access across the cluster.
Secret Rotation: Automates the process of rotating secrets regularly, reducing the risk of compromised credentials.
Audit Logging: Provides comprehensive audit logs for all secret-related activities, enhancing visibility and compliance.
Continuous Scanning: Prisma Cloud continuously scans your Kubernetes environment for exposed secrets in code, configurations, and runtime.
Vulnerability Detection: Identifies vulnerabilities related to secret management practices and provides remediation guidance.
Real-time Alerts: Sends instant notifications when potential secret exposures or unusual access patterns are detected.
Compliance Reporting: Generates detailed reports to demonstrate compliance with security standards and best practices.
Prisma Cloud provides runtime protection, configuration checks, and access controls to ensure that Secrets are securely stored and managed. Below is a detailed explanation of how Prisma Cloud secures Kubernetes Secrets:
(i) Secrets Scanning and Detection:
Prisma Cloud continuously scans Kubernetes clusters for potential risks and vulnerabilities in Secrets storage.
Features:
Detects hardcoded Secrets in container images, configurations, or version control.
Scans Kubernetes manifests (YAML files) for plaintext credentials.
Identifies exposed Secrets in config maps or volumes.
(ii) Compliance Checks and Policies:
Prisma Cloud enforces compliance by checking Kubernetes Secrets against security policies.
Policies Enforced:
Secrets should not be hard-coded into environment variables or config maps.
Secret objects should be encrypted at REST and not exposed unnecessarily.
Secrets must have restricted access via Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
Compliance Standards Supported:
CIS Benchmarks for Kubernetes.
GDPR, HIPAA: Ensures secrets management adheres to regulations.
(iii) Encryption and Data Protection:
Prisma Cloud integrates with encryption frameworks to secure Secrets at REST and in transit.
Encryption Recommendations:
Ensures Kubernetes Secrets are encrypted using strong encryption keys (such as AES-256).
Prevents unencrypted Secrets from being stored in configuration files.
Integration:
Prisma Cloud integrates with KMS (Key Management Services) like AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, or HashiCorp Vault to provide centralized encryption and decryption.
(iv) Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Scanning:
Prisma Cloud scans Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) templates, such as Helm charts, Terraform, and Kubernetes YAML files, for exposed Secrets.
Benefits:
Identifies Secrets embedded in Helm charts or Terraform scripts before they are deployed.
Helps ensure that configuration files remain free of sensitive data during development.
Example:
During a CI/CD pipeline, Prisma Cloud can scan a values.yaml file for Helm deployments and flag any sensitive fields like mysqlRootPassword.
(v) Secret Rotation and Management Recommendations:
Prisma Cloud provides guidance on Secret rotation and secure handling practices.
Recommendations:
Regularly rotate Secrets to minimize the impact of exposure.
Avoid static Secrets by using dynamic Secrets management tools.
Use short-lived credentials through API gateways or dynamic secret providers (e.g., HashiCorp Vault).
(vi) Alerts and Automated Remediation:
Prisma Cloud can trigger alerts and automate responses when misconfigurations or unauthorized access to Secrets are detected.
Automated Remediation:
Automatically revokes access or removes exposed Secrets when a policy violation is detected.
Quarantines workloads accessing unauthorized Secrets.
Notification Integrations:
Sends alerts to Slack, email, or SIEM tools for faster incident response.
Install Prisma Cloud: Deploy Prisma Cloud Compute in your Kubernetes cluster using Helm charts or manual installation.
Configure Policies: Set up custom policies for secret management, including encryption, access controls, and monitoring rules.
Integrate with CI/CD: Incorporate Prisma Cloud scans into your CI/CD pipeline to catch secrets-related issues early.
Monitor and Respond: Regularly review Prisma Cloud's dashboard and alerts, and respond to any detected issues promptly.
Security-First Approach: Always encrypt secrets at REST, use RBAC to control access, and regularly rotate credentials to maintain strong security posture.
Monitoring and Compliance: Regularly audit secrets usage, implement logging for access attempts, and ensure compliance with security standards.
Best Practices Implementation: Implement secrets versioning, use external secrets management solutions, and maintain proper namespace isolation.
Integration Considerations: Properly integrate with CI/CD pipelines, use sealed secrets for GitOps, and maintain development -to-production consistency.
