OpenShift Security

Overview of the security and vulnerability concepts in OpenShift v4, along with some general implementation steps:

Security Concepts in OpenShift v4

1. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Ensures users have access only to the resources they need. Administrators can define roles and assign them to users or groups.
2. Security Context Constraints (SCCs): These define the actions that processes can perform and what resources they can access in a container.
3. Network Policies: Govern how pods can communicate with each other and other network endpoints.
4. Image Security: OpenShift includes features to ensure the security of container images, such as scanning for vulnerabilities and enforcing image signing.
5. Container Security: Containers are isolated from each other and the host system. Security features include using SELinux, seccomp, and cgroups.
6. Encryption: Offers data encryption in transit (with TLS) and at rest, protecting sensitive data.
7. Audit Logs: Tracks security-relevant events, which helps in compliance and understanding the context of changes and actions.
8. Compliance Operator: Automates compliance checks against a variety of security standards.
9. Certificate Management: Manages TLS certificates for secure communication.

Vulnerability Management in OpenShift v4

1. Regular Scanning: OpenShift integrates with tools like Clair to scan container images for known vulnerabilities.
2. Automated Patching: Ability to roll out patches and updates automatically.
3. Dependency Tracking: Tracks dependencies in container images to identify vulnerable components.
4. Security Notifications: Subscribing to Red Hat security advisories to stay informed about new vulnerabilities.

Implementation Steps

1. Setting up RBAC:
   • Create roles and role bindings.
   • Assign roles to users or groups based on their responsibilities.
2. Configuring SCCs:
   • Define and apply appropriate SCCs to projects and pods.
3. Establishing Network Policies:
   • Define and apply network policies to control pod communication.
4. Image Security Implementation:
   • Set up an image registry with security scanning.
   • Implement image signing and enforce signature validation.
5. Container Security Settings:
   • Ensure SELinux is enabled and configured.
   • Set up appropriate seccomp profiles and cgroup limits.
6. Implementing Encryption:
   • Use TLS for all external communications.
   • Encrypt sensitive data at rest.
7. Audit Log Setup:
   • Enable audit logging.
   • Define and configure audit policies.
8. Compliance Checks:
   • Deploy and configure the Compliance Operator.
   • Run regular compliance scans and remediate any issues.
9. Certificate Management:
   • Automate certificate issuance and renewal.
   • Monitor certificate expiration and validity.
10. Vuln