A Short Guide to Understanding Static Container Security
Maintaining container security is something that all organizations must do to prevent hackers from gaining access to your applications. Having a better understanding of how to maintain static security can help prevent cybercriminals from exploiting your system and stealing sensitive information.
If you’re feeling a little unsure about what factors are involved with static container security, the information throughout this post could help to make you feel more at ease.
This post covers some of the main factors to consider when it comes to controlling your static container security.
Linting
It’s common for scripting languages to come with a linting tool. You can use linting tools to find ways of preventing and fixing problems that happen within your source code. Some of these linting tools come with a lot of rules that can make them tricky to use.
However, there are also simpler linting tools that have rules that are easier to integrate. When using linting tools, it’s best to avoid using a user account for container images that aren’t rooted.
This can be an effective measure for reducing the amount of damage that can occur if breaches into the container are made. One of the main downsides to this approach is that developers will require the root user account when it comes to updates or installing new elements. This can be an annoying element, but it’s effective at keeping your containers secure.
If you’re using external container image registries, you should be cautious about trusting them completely. All images, regardless of where they come from, can contain weaknesses that hackers can exploit.
So, be sure that you’re only using container images that come from trusted sources. Even then, you should monitor them constantly to ensure that they’re secure.
Using apk upgrades without selecting a package can cause unwanted factors for developers to deal with. If you don’t specify which packages you want to update, it will update other packages too, which your organization may not use.
This can cause the overall image size to increase, which provides hackers with a larger area to attack. Therefore, you want to be sure to only upgrade and use the packages that you need. This reduces your image size to make your containers a smaller target for hackers.
When it comes to updating and installing packages in static container environments, it’s important to know the package version that you want to install and use. If you don’t specify this when making an update, you could end up with packages that come with vulnerabilities without you knowing.
Consistency
Writing code consistently is good practice for developers. The more consistent your development teams are with writing code, the more confidence they gain, which helps them to keep containers free from errors and more secure.
It’s also good for development teams to set coding standards to aim towards. Being consistent with these standards is effective for preventing breaches in static containers.
This is especially important in today’s climate, where developers are under more pressure to deliver projects faster. The more consistent they can be with their coding standards, the harder it is for hackers to exploit weaknesses.
There are also fewer vulnerabilities for development teams to deal with. This results in teams working more productively instead of having to always take a step back and fix vulnerabilities.
Remediation Methods
Companies that have a good understanding of remediation methods when it comes to container vulnerabilities can recover faster. There are some key methods that organizations put into practice to minimize damage and strengthen their containers.
One of these methods involves upgrading vulnerable packages. If you’ve identified packages with a manageable number of vulnerabilities, it may be worth updating them to remove the weaknesses so that you can continue using them. This should only be done after careful monitoring to ensure that you aren’t upgrading high-risk packages.
Using a separate base image is also a great technique to consider. This can save developers time on fixing vulnerable base images as they can simply use other backup ones instead. This can be helpful for times when base images have too many vulnerabilities that are difficult to patch.
If you receive container images from a vendor, they may be able to fix security issues if you discover any. This can be an easier way for companies to deal with vulnerabilities in container images.
After monitoring your containers, it’s good practice to prioritize the vulnerabilities. If there’s a certain element that’s causing a lot of trouble, you may want to consider removing that element altogether if possible.
It’s also important to understand that static container security risks are always going to be a possibility. So, don’t be disheartened by security risks. Instead, focus on fixing the issues and carrying on.
Scans & Databases
Running scans is an important part of container security. It’s common for organizations to scan container images and compare the results with databases. Databases, such as the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), enable you to get a better idea about common vulnerabilities.
This can make it easier for security teams to locate container image vulnerabilities. In addition to this, using databases allows you to find ways to remediate the vulnerabilities as other companies may have already fixed the same weaknesses in their own systems.
Regularly running scans for vulnerabilities is crucial for providing developers and security teams with up-to-date information about how secure containers are. They can then be more efficient when it comes to finding patches and moving on with the rest of the development.
Conclusion
That wraps up our post on some of the main factors to consider when it comes to the security of your static container. There are many elements involved with keeping containers secure, and it can feel overwhelming at times.
However, we hope that you’ve gained a better understanding of some of the ways that you can keep your containers secure and prevent vulnerabilities from having a big impact on your business.
