Runtime security in cloud-native applications refers to the set of practices, tools, and processes designed to protect applications in production (or while they’re “running”). Unlike traditional security measures that focus on securing the infrastructure or the application code during development, runtime security focuses on detecting and responding to threats that occur when the application is live and operational.
This matters a lot these days because cloud-native setups are always changing and spread out, making them easier to attack, so it’s key to spot and deal with threats right away. Runtime security helps keep security strong and protects against new cyber dangers that keep popping up.
Learn more about the aspects of runtime security and tools and methodologies you can use to protect applications during runtime.
Key aspects of runtime security
- Real-time threat detection
- Continuous monitor application behavior, system calls, and network traffic to detect anomalies.
- Identifying unauthorized access attempts and malicious activities.
- Response mechanisms:
- Immediate actions such as blocking suspicious traffic, isolating compromised containers, or restarting services.
- Informing security teams about potential threats to enable quick intervention.
- Policy enforcement:
- Applying security policies that control what processes and actions are allowed during runtime.
- Ensuring that the application adheres to security and compliance standards.
- Vulnerability management:
- Applying security patches to running containers and services without downtime.
- Ensuring that configurations do not introduce vulnerabilities.
Tools and methodologies to protect applications from real-time threats and vulnerabilities
Here are some tools and methodologies companies can follow to secure applications during real-time threats:
Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP)
RASP is built right into an application’s running environment. It constantly observes and analyzes the application’s behavior to detect and prevent real-time threats. RASP offers a precise understanding of application vulnerabilities and lessens false positives compared to traditional security solutions.
Container security solutions
Cloud-native applications usually function in containers, so container security is very important. The most recommended methods to secure containers include performing frequent scans on images within the container to detect any possible weaknesses present, setting up runtime protection that can supervise activities happening inside the container, and applying least privilege principles towards its permissions to lessen probable attack areas.
Microservices security
The security issues in a microservices architecture are different and need special methods and tools. Service meshes have safety features such as mutual TLS (Transport Layer Security), access control, and secure communication between microservices. Application Programming Interface (API) gateways can offer more security through abilities such as rate limiting, authentication, and logging that let them handle & secure the traffic of APIs effectively.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems
IDPS are tools that look at activities inside networks or applications to find harmful actions and policy breaking. Using IDPS together with firewalls and other security infrastructure, plus always updating the signatures of IDPS, effectively detects and prevents new or rising dangers.
Security Information and Event Management
Solutions for SIEM gather, examine, and connect security details from different places to discover and react against threats. These tools offer complete security supervision along with notification and reply functions. For a combined security position, it is important to add SIEM with other safety tools. Setting up alerts and automated responses for crucial incidents in your system are necessary actions.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
Solutions for Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) concentrate on finding and reacting to dangers on endpoints, which can be servers, virtual machines, or containers in a cloud-native setup. To guarantee protection from new threats, it is essential to distribute EDR agents over all parts of the cloud-native infrastructure and update EDR policies and signatures on a regular basis.
Continuous monitoring and threat intelligence
Continuous monitoring means that applications and infrastructure are watched 24/7, instantly identifying and dealing with threats. Moreover, threat intelligence platforms (TIPs) combine threat data from various sources to improve detection and reaction activities. To ensure strong security, we need to set up regular checking methods for measuring application performance and security statistics. This includes using threat knowledge to keep track of new dangers and problems.
Using these tools and approaches, companies can improve the security of their cloud-native applications, making them strong against threats and weaknesses that appear during runtime.
Best practices for optimal runtime security
Zero trust security model: Embrace the “never trust, always verify” approach to security. Assume that every internal or external component can be a threat and implement strict access controls and continuous verification.
Use container security tools: Utilize specialized tools like Aqua Security, Twistlock, and Sysdig to enforce comprehensive runtime security features within containers and hosts.
Shift-left security: Integrate security early in the development lifecycle, extending it to runtime.
Least privilege principle: Limit permissions and access rights for applications and services to only what is necessary.
Ensure compliance: Adhere to security and compliance standards to mitigate risks and maintain regulatory requirements.
Monitor and secure Kubernetes environments: Implement robust monitoring and security measures specific to Kubernetes environments to detect and respond to threats effectively.
Regular audits and penetration testing: These checks help uncover flaws that automatic tools might overlook making sure to fix any security gaps.
Incident response: Set up a system to monitor along with a quick incident response plan. Use tools that give you a clear view of your runtime environment in real-time allowing you to spot and deal with security issues fast.
Ensure runtime security in cloud-native applications
Runtime security is crucial because it provides continuous application protection against evolving threats. It ensures that cloud-native applications, often composed of numerous microservices and run in dynamic environments like Kubernetes, remain secure and resilient.
By focusing on runtime security, organizations can better protect their applications from breaches, minimize the impact of security incidents, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
