Securing Azure Container Instances or ACI

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1. Container Image Security
• Use Trusted Base Images: Always use official or verified images from trusted registries. Avoid images with unknown or untrusted origins. Trusted images reduce the risk of introducing vulnerabilities and malicious code into your environment. Regular updates help mitigate newly discovered security vulnerabilities.
• Scan for Vulnerabilities: Use tools like Ms defender for coontainers which continuously scans the images in the Azure container registry or third-party tools to scan container images for vulnerabilities before deployment. Ensure that images are kept up-to-date with the latest security patches.
• Regular scanning helps identify and mitigate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. It's crucial for maintaining the security integrity of your containerized applications.
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3. Networking and Firewall Rules
Isolating container instances within a virtual network prevents unauthorized access and limits potential lateral movement within your infrastructure. NSGs and Azure Firewall provide granular control over traffic, enhancing the security posture.
• Private Networking: Deploy Azure Container Instances within an Azure Virtual Network (using the --vnet and --subnet options) to isolate them from public internet access.
3. Authentication and Access Control
• Use Managed Identities: Enable managed identities for Azure resources on your container instance to securely access other Azure services without storing credentials in code. Managed identities eliminate the need for storing sensitive credentials in your configuration, reducing the risk of credential leakage. They provide an identity for applications to access resources securely.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Use RBAC to control who can manage your Azure Container Instances.
4. Secure Environment Variables
• Sensitive Data: Avoid passing sensitive data like passwords or API keys through environment variables. Use Azure Key Vault to manage secrets and access them securely in your containers. Storing secrets outside of your containers minimizes the risk of exposure in case of a security breach. Azure Key Vault provides a centralized and secure store which can be audited and controlled tightly.
5. Monitoring and Logging
• Enable Monitoring: Use Azure Monitor and Azure Log Analytics to monitor the health and activity of your container instances.
• Audit Logs: Enable diagnostic settings to send logs and metrics to Azure Monitor Logs for analysis.
Monitoring and logging enable you to detect and respond to potential security incidents promptly. Azure Monitor provides insights into application performance and health, facilitating effective troubleshooting and operational excellence.
6. Update and Patch Management
• Keep Images Updated: Regularly update your container images to include the latest security patches and updates.
• Rebuild Strategy: Automate the process of rebuilding and redeploying containers when base images or dependencies are updated.
8. Implement Application Gateway with WAF
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My name is Arun Pachehra and i am an IT Professional & a fitness enthusiast. Its been more than 16 years working with various technologies and now i am planning to share with you all. As per plan i am going to publish the entire Az 303 series first and if things would go as planned then a lot of stuff would come your way including Q&A , Production issues and various interesting stuff.