Kubernetes Brings Developers Ease But IT Security Teams Are Worried

Do you ever feel there are way too many new tech terms to keep up with? Almost as though there’s something new every day! On the other hand, it’s good to keep learning. #NewIsAlwaysBetter

(For help with tech terms check out our extensive: TD Dictionary)

Anyway, one term that’s recently gathered tremendous popularity and praise is Kubernetes (pronounced koo-bur-net-ease). Abbreviated as K8s, Kubernetes’ name originates from Greek, meaning ‘steersman’, 'helmsman’ or 'pilot', which describes its function well.

Kubernetes is an open-source system for automating the deployment, scaling and management of containerized applications. Basically, it groups codes of applications into containers into logical units for easy management, deployment and discovery.

Although the term may not be popular with everyone in an organization, it certainly holds high value among the development teams of organizations. According to a Statista survey, 61% of respondents confirmed to have adopted Kubernetes. In fact, over the last few years, it’s become a standard when it comes to open-source containerized applications – and it continues to grow and evolve.

Speaking on its evolution, Gordon Haff, Technology Evangelist at Red Hat said, “Kubernetes as a base platform is quite mature. That’s not to say that change isn’t a constant in and around the platform.”


However, there is a slight thorn in this beautiful flower, which is pricking IT security executives. One that rears its head every time something starts becoming popular – cybercriminals.

This poses bigger problems as organizations lack a good understanding of Kubernetes as it’s relatively new. Finding security professionals with the right expertise in Kubernetes can be tough. The fair few who are capable are in high demand and are plucked up by bigger organizations, making it tougher for smaller companies and startups.

Another issue is that organizations believe they can just buy a product or service that could solve the security issue for them. This doesn’t hold strong considering applications tend to have unique styles when it comes to development, deployment, maintenance and usage and security tools need to adapt to changing styles as well.

According to Mark Boost, CEO at Civo, "With any increased adoption of technology comes a heightened security risk, and rightfully an increase in concerns around vulnerabilities.” He added, "Now is the time for innovators to band together to ensure Kubernetes resilience can support its long-term adoption."


The silver lining though is that as this technology adapts to new security risks, so will its knowledge base, allowing smaller companies to offer dedicated security for Kubernetes applications.

Do you use Kubernetes regularly? Have you faced any security breaches or challenges? Let us know in the comments below!