Description: A hardened container is a container that has been secured against vulnerabilities, designed to protect applications and data in container environments. These containers are a fundamental part of microservices architecture and are used to encapsulate applications and their dependencies, ensuring they run consistently across various environments. Security is one of the main concerns in container deployment, as they can be susceptible to attacks if not managed properly. Therefore, hardened containers incorporate security practices such as reducing the attack surface, implementing strict access policies, and continuous monitoring. This translates into greater resilience against external threats and better protection of sensitive data. Additionally, container hardening involves removing unnecessary components and applying secure configurations, contributing to a more robust and reliable environment for developing and operating applications in cloud and on-premises settings.
History: The concept of containers in computing became popular with the introduction of technologies like Docker in 2013, which revolutionized the way applications are developed and deployed. As container usage grew, so did concerns about security, leading to the development of hardening practices. In 2015, standards and tools began to be established for hardening containers, such as implementing security policies and creating more secure container images.
Uses: Hardened containers are primarily used in production environments where security is critical. They are common in enterprise applications, cloud services, and microservices platforms, where a high level of protection against cyber threats is required. They are also used in development environments to ensure that applications are built and tested under secure conditions before deployment.
Examples: An example of a hardened container is the use of Alpine Linux container images, which are minimalist and help reduce the attack surface. Another common practice is the implementation of tools like OpenSCAP to assess and ensure compliance of container images with established security policies.
