Zero trust security model implementation in Kubernetes-based cloud infrastructure

With more and more organizations adopting cloud-native technologies, securing dynamic, distributed and otherwise dynamic environments like Kubernetes is becoming more of a challenge. Modern cyber threats require modern security models, which are made from scratch and cannot rely on perimeter defense models. As an effective solution for securing Kubernetes-based infrastructures, the Zero Trust Security Model (ZTSM), or no entity is trusted by default, is on the rise. A zero-trust principle in a multi-cluster Kubernetes environment is explored regarding identity and access management (IAM), micro-segmentation, and continuous monitoring. Zero Trust concentrates on enacting strict identity verification, least privilege access, and policy enforcement for the most security vulnerabilities in a dynamic cloud environment where workloads are consistently changing. It also highlights that every organization will face challenges integrating Zero Trust into a Kubernetes-based environment, performance overheads, identity management, and multi-cluster and hybrid cloud deployments being just a handful. These challenges are enough to take advantage of Zero Trust’s increased visibility, granular access control, and more secure requests for access and communication. They provide insights on how Zero Trust principles apply to Kubernetes with Istio, Cilium and Kyver no while bringing best practices for enterprises that use Zero Trust principles in Kubernetes-based infrastructures. This paper highlights the effectiveness of Zero Trust in the modern account of the cloud environment aimed at securing Kubernetes-based applications.