Kube Bench: Secure your Kubernetes Cluster with CIS Benchmark

Originally published on https://www.virtualizationhowto.com by Brandon Lee on May, 14, 2023.

In the rapidly evolving world of Kubernetes, a single tool stands out in auditing and hardening Kubernetes cluster security: kube-bench. Hosted on github.com/aquasecurity/kube-bench, kube-bench is a powerful Go application designed to evaluate whether Kubernetes is deployed in alignment with industry-standard best practices.

What is kube-bench?

Kube-bench is an open-source tool developed by Aqua Security and hosted on github.com/aquasecurity/kube bench. The github.com aquasecurity kube bench project primarily benchmarks a Kubernetes cluster against the Center for Internet Security’s (CIS) Kubernetes Benchmark. This benchmark comprises a set of standards designed to ensure a secure configuration for Kubernetes deployments.

You can run a series of automated checks using the kube bench command against your Kubernetes cluster nodes, including both master node and worker node configuration, to identify potential security misconfigurations. Additionally, the kube-bench cfg command allows you to target specific CIS benchmark versions for your running Kubernetes version, helping ensure your cluster meets the most up-to-date security standards.

Organizations can gain valuable insights into their Kubernetes cluster security posture and make necessary adjustments to enhance their control plane and node security…