Multiple components of containerized applications or files, as well as their infrastructure and linked networks, are secured using container security solutions. DevOps teams most frequently employ containers as a preferred technique to format software modules throughout the development of applications. They are orchestrated, deployed, and networked after development. Security is crucial throughout the entire container utilization process.
To control access, evaluate security, and safeguard cloud computing infrastructure running containerized applications, container security software is utilized. Administrators can control access to containerized data and application integration with management features. Developing security rules, identifying zero-day vulnerabilities, and modeling attacks from familiar threat sources will all be made easier with the help of testing capabilities.
This article will cover Open Source Container Security Tools and what factors to consider while choosing a tool for your organization.
Table of Contents:
- Why is Container Security Important?
- What are Open Source Container Security Tools?
- Top 15 Open Source Container Security Tools
- How to choose the best Open Source Container Security Tool?
- Conclusion
Why is Container Security Important?
While containers have certain built-in security benefits, such as better application separation, they also widen the variety of dangers a corporation must consider. The widespread use of containers in production systems makes them a more appealing target for hostile people, which adds to the system’s workload. The entire organization’s environment could be breached if even one container is compromised.
The potential risks keep rising as intruders discover more entrance points. Malware in container images is one typical security risk. Standard network security mechanisms do not entirely cover attacks that move sideways within the system.
What are Open Source Container Security Tools?
The handling, protection, and assurance of the security of containerized files, programs, systems, and the networks that connect them all depend heavily on container security solutions.
With these open source container security tools, administrators can create automated rules that offer security against using vulnerabilities, illegal access, abuse of roles or privileges, and compliance with legal requirements.
However, it’s crucial to remember that software created especially to safeguard containers and the images accompanying them are called container security solutions.
Top 15 Open Source Container Security Tools
Top Open Source Container Security Tools are –
- PingSafe
- Datadog Cloud CIEM
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Sophos
- BitDefender Gravity Zone
- Trend Micro Hybrid Cloud Security
- Sysdig Secure
- RedHat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes
- Aqua Security
- Anchore
- Cilium
- Dockle
- Hadolint
- Notary
- Grafeas
#1 PingSafe
PingSafe, a leading cloud security platform, is well-versed in the attack strategy. PingSafe provides enterprises of all sizes and industry sectors with lightning-fast speed and scale to change cloud security and eliminate any uncovered and exploitable vulnerabilities. Even though PingSafe is not an open-source tool, it is the 1st choice for many giant players.
Key Features:
- Cloud Misconfigurations: Misconfigurations are automatically fixed. Misconfigurations across resources, lateral movement routes, and impact radius are visualized using graphs.
- Flagging Security Defaults: Constant monitoring of the security posture of new or current cloud services, focusing on security flaws and best practices.
- Infrastructure as a Code: Check IaC deployment and configuration against CIS benchmark, PCI-DSS, and other standards. To prevent merge and pull requests with hardcoded secrets, CI/CD integration support is available.
- Vulnerability Management: Identify cloud resources/assets with known CVEs (Intelligence acquired from 10+ sources with thorough coverage) for vulnerability management. It offers an assessment of Zero-day vulnerabilities.
- Threat Watch: A dashboard for monitoring all of your environment’s zero-day vulnerabilities and associated problems.
- VM Snapshot Scanning: Agentless software bill of materials (SBOM) reporting and VM snapshot scanning for security flaws.
Pros:
- You don’t have to read manuals extra time because the UI is straightforward.
- They frequently develop fresh use cases and feature upgrades.
- Like most cloud security solutions, pingSafe maps external events connected to your cloud infrastructure.
Cons:
- No cons.
Pingsafe is priced at $2000 per month.
#2 Datadog Cloud CIEM
Datadog provides leading SaaS-based data analytics services. This company manufactures some of the most well-known servers and network management and monitoring products. They also create Container Security, which is real-time threat detection and investigation tool.
Key Features:
- Vulnerability detection
- System hardening
- Log file consolidation
- Threat hunting
- Ticket-based alerts
Pros:
- Features system hardening and ongoing threat detection.
- It will keep an eye on systems in the cloud and on-premises.
- Centralizes the management of numerous sites.
- Includes coverage for the remote devices used by personnel who work from home.
- Respond automatically or send alerts and warnings to your technicians.
Cons:
- Tracking web applications requires a separate module.
#3 Microsoft Defender for Cloud
A cloud-native application protection technology for multi-cloud and hybrid environments, Microsoft Defender for Cloud offers thorough security throughout the whole lifecycle, from development to runtime. It is an open source container security tool.
Key Features:
- Each user may use up to five devices.
- Enterprise-grade security for all of your mobile, desktop, and laptop devices.
- Management of threats and vulnerabilities.
- Protection using a modern antivirus program.
Pros:
- Identity and access management
- Threat prevention from antivirus, antimalware software, and cloud access security broker capabilities.
- Based on risk conditional access
- Management of privileged identities
- Multiple-factor verification
- Biological identification
Cons:
- Other anti-malware and EDR software that is installed on an endpoint is immediately disabled by Defender.
- The majority of Microsoft’s most desirable capabilities, including DLP and automatic label classification, are only compatible with Microsoft documents.
#4 Sophos
Sophos Cloud Native Security offers workload protection for Windows and Linux systems hosted on cloud platforms. It offers open source container security. Container security tracking does not cover Windows, but Linux-based systems are locally and in the cloud. The system installs agents on the servers that house your containers. After that, it centralizes reporting and offers immediate feedback on container operations.
Key Features:
- Tracks Linux servers
- Monitoring of container workloads
- Detects assaults as they take place
Pros:
- Examines containers and running systems
- Examines the interior of the crates and the platforms that hold them
- Engage identity and access management (IAM) to conduct research and block threats
Cons:
- You must additionally purchase Sophos XDR.
#5 BitDefender Gravity Zone
Bitdefender GravityZone, an open-source container security tool, protects Linux-based cloud workloads. This AI-powered threat prevention and anti-exploitation solution provide the most fantastic endpoint threat detection and response (ETDR) by considering user, device, and location variables.
Key Features:
- Security for applications, platforms, and containers
- A vulnerability scanner is provided
- Comprises both backup and recovery
Pros:
- Correlates events across several places using AI.
- Checks containers thoroughly.
- Detection of anomalies with zero-day attack defense capabilities
Cons:
- A large selection of modules with numerous aspects
#6 Trend Micro Hybrid Cloud Security
With the most comprehensive and in-depth cloud security offering in a single solution, Trend Micro Cloud One, a security services platform for cloud builders, enables you to safeguard your cloud infrastructure with clarity and simplicity. It offers open source container security.
Key Features:
- Threats detection
- Malware protection
- Ransomware protection
- Data protection
Pros:
- The console is fairly simple to use.
- Security features will effectively protect infrastructure.
- The malware prevention feature is excellent.
Cons:
- Updates are problematic because they require restarting production servers.
- Upgrades may halt as a result of some technical issues.
#7 Sysdig Secure
Sysdig Secure is a security tool that functions across a container’s whole lifecycle. It offers open source container security. It provides security and compliance solutions that can swiftly stop known vulnerabilities before they can cause real damage. The tool can incorporate scanning into CI/CD pipelines and registries.
Key Features:
- Good for DevOps
- On-demand or continuous
- Integrates into CI/CD pipelines
Pros:
- Tracking real-time performance and log searching
- Reporting and auditing of compliance
- Extension options for threat detection
Cons:
- Does not monitor on-site systems.
#8 RedHat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes
It is necessary to have RedHat OpenShift to use ACS, a part of RedHat Advanced Cluster Security (ACS) for Kubernetes. No matter if they are on your premises or in the cloud, this tool will keep an eye on your Kubernetes clusters. It offers open source container security.
Key Features:
- Uses a vulnerability scanner to operate
- For development and operation.
- Ability to be included in CI/CD pipelines
Pros:
- Versatile security policies with a variety of programmable controls
- Reporting and the audit trail for compliance
- Decide whether you want a notification or a response
Cons:
- Only functions within Red Hat OpenShift
#9 Aqua Security
Aqua Security is an open source container security monitoring module that is part of the workload security monitoring services platform. It will examine how containers are used in Windows, Linux, cloud computing, and virtual environments.
Key Features:
- Container monitoring across all platforms
- Security risk evaluations
- malware detection
Pros:
- Checks the environment for suspicious activity, such as connection requests to suspicious URLs or port scanning.
- makes a certificate of security approval for containers
- It is beneficial throughout the entire container lifespan
Cons:
- This tool only almost achieves Zero Trust Access.
#10 Anchore
We obtain an open-source container security tool for tracking the security of container images with the Anchore Engine. Any expert administration team would be pleased with its Enterprise Edition, a comprehensive container security workflow solution.
Key Features:
- API and command-line options
- Vulnerability assessments
- Container analysis
- It lists CVE ID
Pros:
- Monitors containers on any platform.
- It examines container contents for security problems.
- In development environments, integrated testing might be used.
- It will send out notifications via teamwork tools.
Cons:
- Background operations that are ongoing risk it being disregarded.
#11 Cilium
Network connectivity security is the focus of Cilium. The Linux container platforms Docker and Kubernetes are compatible with thanks to Cilium’s addition of security visibility and control mechanisms. It offers open source container security.
Key Features:
- Identity-Based Security
- Blazing Performance
- API-Protocol Visibility + Security
- Designed for Scale
Pros:
- Open source
- Provides security to applications deployed on Docker and Kubernetes
Cons:
- Needs to improve gui to more to make it easy to use
#12 Dockle
An open-source program called Dockle is used to confirm if containers adhere to a list of recommended practices for creating Dockerfiles. In order to prevent exposed secrets, user privilege escalation, and possibly vulnerable instructions, Dockle can also be used to lint container images against popular CIS benchmarks. It offers open source container security.
Key Features:
- Static Image Analysis
- Security Checks
- Customizable Checks
- Integration with CI/CD
- CLI Tool
Pros:
- Ensures compliance
- Customizability
- Enables automated and continuous security assessment of container images.
Cons:
- Static Analysis Limitation
- Limited Scope
- Dependency on Updates
- Steep learning Curve
#13 Hadolint
Hadolint is a linter that aids teams in creating and deploying Docker containers that follow best practices. Hadolint parses a Dockerfile into an abstract syntax tree (AST). In-line comments produced as a result can be used to spot things like invalid ports, flawed or superfluous commands, missing tags, and other anti-patterns. DevSecOps could strengthen the security of its Docker containers by fixing these problems. It offers open source container security.
Key Features:
- Dockerfile Analysis
- Linting Rules
- Allows you to define custom linting rules
- Integration with CI/CD
Pros:
- Focused Expertise
- Automated Best Practices
- Customizability
- Automated and continuous analysis of Dockerfiles within your CI/CD pipeline
Cons:
- Limited Scope
- Static Analysis
- False Positives/Negatives
- Steep Learning Curve
- Effectiveness depends on regular updates
#14 Notary
The main idea behind Notary is the separation of duties; developers can assign roles and specify duties among containers by utilizing Notary. The package includes a server and a client to provide a cryptographically safe method of publishing and verifying material. It offers open-source container security.
Key Features:
- Image Authentication
- Trust Infrastructure
- Role-Based Access Control
- Integration with Docker
Pros:
- Enhanced Security
- Trust Assurance
- Integrity and Authenticity
- Distributed Trust Model
Cons:
- Setting up and configuring Notary is complex.
- Steep learning curve
- Dependency on Infrastructure
- Integration Challenges
- Regular maintenance is required
#15 Grafeas
Developers can use Grafeas, a “component metadata API,” to specify metadata for virtual machines and containers. The project also incorporates IBM’s Vulnerability Advisor. It offers open source container security.
Key Features:
- Metadata Tracking
- Standardized API
- Lifecycle Management
- Integration with Other Tools
Pros:
- Centralized Metadata
- Standardization
- Visibility and Accountability
- Integration
- Customization
Cons:
- Complexity
- Infrastructure and Maintenance
- Dependency on Other Tools
- Data Volume and Storage
- Evolving Ecosystem
How to choose the best Open Source Container Security Tool?
Some aspects that assisted in choosing which open source container security products to include on our list are as follows:
- It should be able to control and monitor who has access roles and permissions.
- It should be able to enforce rules from a central location and ensure compliance.
- It should be able to examine large collections of containers and identify any picture flaws.
- Enabling the detection of hazardous software while it is being tested in a controlled environment and seeing how the predetermined rules impact it.
- To assess and demonstrate compliance, create reports, conduct audits, and save information about the containers.
- Having the ability to detect malicious software while it is active, including internal threats, flaws that haven’t been patched, risky setups, data leakage, weak passwords, and odd behavior.
- The cost, if it’s affordable, and other factors must be considered before choosing a solution.
Conclusion
Containers are no different from newly developed technologies that demand stringent oversight and rapid security. This blog saw the top 15 Open Source Container Security tools. Container security is distinctive since it must be protected during development and use. Prioritizing both should be done. Businesses with growing container infrastructures should invest in orchestration tools and container-specific solutions to track down and eliminate threats.
