Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) security and monitoring encompasses multiple layers of protection and observability for containerized workloads. At the cluster level, AKS integrates with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) for authentication, enabling role-based access control (RBAC) to define granula…Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) security and monitoring encompasses multiple layers of protection and observability for containerized workloads. At the cluster level, AKS integrates with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) for authentication, enabling role-based access control (RBAC) to define granular permissions for users and service accounts. Kubernetes RBAC further restricts what actions authenticated identities can perform within the cluster.
Network security in AKS involves Network Policies to control pod-to-pod communication, Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs) for subnet-level filtering, and Azure Firewall or Application Gateway for ingress protection. Private clusters keep the API server endpoint accessible only through private networks, reducing exposure to public internet threats.
For workload protection, Azure Defender for Kubernetes provides threat detection capabilities, identifying suspicious activities like cryptocurrency mining or privilege escalation attempts. Container image scanning through Microsoft Defender for Containers analyzes images in Azure Container Registry for vulnerabilities before deployment.
Secrets management leverages Azure Key Vault integration through the Secrets Store CSI Driver, allowing pods to access certificates and secrets stored securely outside the cluster. Pod Security Standards and admission controllers enforce security policies preventing privileged containers or root access.
Monitoring in AKS centers on Azure Monitor and Container Insights, which collect metrics, logs, and performance data from nodes, pods, and containers. Log Analytics workspaces store this telemetry for analysis and alerting. Prometheus metrics integration enables custom application monitoring, while Azure Monitor managed service for Prometheus provides scalable metric collection.
Azure Policy for AKS enforces organizational standards through built-in policy definitions covering aspects like allowed registries, resource limits, and security configurations. Workload identity replaces pod-managed identities, providing a more secure method for pods to authenticate to Azure services using federated credentials tied to Kubernetes service accounts.
AKS Security and Monitoring: Complete Guide for AZ-500
Why AKS Security and Monitoring is Important
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a managed container orchestration platform that runs critical workloads. Securing AKS clusters is essential because containers can be vulnerable to attacks, misconfigurations, and unauthorized access. Proper monitoring ensures you can detect threats, maintain compliance, and respond to incidents quickly. For the AZ-500 exam, understanding AKS security is crucial as it represents a significant portion of the compute security domain.
What is AKS Security and Monitoring?
AKS security encompasses multiple layers of protection including:
• Cluster Security - Securing the Kubernetes control plane and nodes • Network Security - Network policies, Azure CNI, and private clusters • Identity and Access - Azure AD integration and RBAC • Container Security - Image scanning and runtime protection • Secrets Management - Azure Key Vault integration • Monitoring - Azure Monitor, Container Insights, and Microsoft Defender for Containers
How AKS Security Works
Microsoft Defender for Containers provides threat detection for AKS clusters, scanning container images for vulnerabilities and monitoring runtime behavior for suspicious activities.
Azure Policy for AKS enforces organizational standards using built-in policies like preventing privileged containers or requiring specific image registries.
Azure AD Integration enables authentication using Azure AD identities, while Kubernetes RBAC controls authorization within the cluster.
Network Policies control pod-to-pod communication using Calico or Azure Network Policies.
Private Clusters keep the API server endpoint private, accessible only through private endpoints.
Container Insights collects performance metrics and logs from containers, nodes, and controllers for comprehensive monitoring.
Key Security Features to Remember
• Pod Security Standards - Baseline and Restricted policies for pod security • Managed Identities - Use pod-managed identities for secure Azure resource access • Azure Container Registry - Private registry with vulnerability scanning • Secrets Store CSI Driver - Mount Key Vault secrets as volumes • Node Pool Isolation - Separate workloads using system and user node pools
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on AKS Security and Monitoring
1. Know the difference between authentication and authorization - Azure AD handles authentication, Kubernetes RBAC handles authorization within the cluster.
2. Understand private clusters - When a question mentions keeping API server access internal, private clusters with private endpoints are the answer.
3. Network Policy scenarios - For controlling traffic between pods, network policies are required. Remember that Azure CNI is needed for Azure Network Policy.
4. Defender for Containers vs Container Insights - Defender provides security and threat detection; Container Insights provides performance monitoring and logging.
5. Secrets management - For questions about securely accessing secrets, look for Azure Key Vault with Secrets Store CSI Driver integration.
6. Image security - Questions about container vulnerabilities point to Microsoft Defender for Containers and ACR vulnerability scanning.
7. Policy enforcement - Azure Policy with AKS add-on is used for enforcing cluster configurations and preventing non-compliant deployments.
8. Watch for keywords - Terms like least privilege suggest RBAC, threat detection suggests Defender, and compliance suggests Azure Policy.
9. Node security - Remember that AKS nodes should use managed identities and node images are automatically patched by Microsoft.
10. Logging requirements - Diagnostic settings send control plane logs to Log Analytics; Container Insights collects workload logs.