Kubernetes Security in 2025: Best Practices Backed by Real-World Attack Simulations

Modern enterprises rely heavily on Kubernetes (K8s) to run scalable, containerized applications. But with this power comes an expanded attack surface - and attackers are taking full advantage. Cymulate’s latest findings from simulated adversarial campaigns reveal that native cloud provider defenses (AWS GuardDuty, Azure Defender, Google Security Command Center) fall short when it comes to detecting Kubernetes-specific threats. It’s time for a new approach to Kubernetes security — one that combines defense-in-depth, policy enforcement, and continuous validation.

Why Kubernetes Security Is Critical

Kubernetes is the default choice for container orchestration, offering agility and scalability for microservices-based applications. But its complexity creates challenges:

• Misconfigured RBAC policies
• Unmonitored workloads and privileged containers
• Exposed secrets and escalation paths

A single misstep can lead to full cluster compromise, data leaks, or attacker persistence. Relying on default configurations and native cloud tools simply isn’t enough.

Key Research Findings by Cymulate

Through simulated attacks aligned with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, Cymulate assessed the detection capabilities of leading cloud-native tools — and uncovered significant blind spots. Less than 50% of Kubernetes-specific techniques were detected across AWS, Azure, and GCP. Here’s what was tested — and what you can do about it.

8 Kubernetes Security Best Practices Backed by Simulation Results

1. Lock Down RBAC with Granular Controls

Key Insight: Cymulate exploited excessive permissions using anonymous access.

Best Practices:

• Use RoleBinding over ClusterRoleBinding wherever possible.
• Disable anonymous access and limit default privileges.
• Integrate RBAC audits into CI/CD with tools like rakkess.

2. Secure the Kube-System Namespace

Key Insight: Commands in kube-system went undetected on GCP.

Best Practices:

• Treat kube-system as a high-security zone.
• Enforce controls using Kyverno or OPA/Gatekeeper.
• Monitor pod creation events in sensitive namespaces.

3. Restrict Privileged Containers & HostPath Mounts

Key Insight: A DinD pod gained host access undetected.

Best Practices:

• Ban privileged: true unless absolutely necessary.
• Replace hostPath with CSI drivers when possible.
• Use PodSecurity standards to enforce restrictions.

4. Limit Dangerous Linux Capabilities

Key Insight: Containers with SYS_ADMIN bypassed detection.

Best Practices:

• Drop all capabilities by default: securityContext.capabilities.drop: ["ALL"].
• Allow specific capabilities only when justified.
• Enforce limits with PodSecurityPolicy or Kyverno.

5. Harden Persistence Defenses

Key Insight: Persistence methods like nohup and useradd went unnoticed.

Best Practices:

• Apply AppArmor or SELinux profiles.
• Monitor runtime activity for suspicious commands.
• Use tools like Falco or Sysdig Secure.

6. Enforce Configuration Hygiene & Secrets Management

Key Insight: Cymulate accessed the kubeconfig and plaintext secrets.

Best Practices:

• Store secrets in Kubernetes Secrets or external vaults.
• Block plaintext secrets in pod specs.
• Use strict RBAC for secret access and read-only mounts.

7. Monitor for Defense Evasion Techniques

Key Insight: Azure was the only platform to detect event deletions and history tampering.

Best Practices:

• Implement immutable logging via audit webhooks.
• Detect deletion events (ConfigMaps, logs, etc.).
• Use runtime integrity tools like Tracee.

8. Continuously Validate with Breach Simulations

Key Insight: Cymulate simulations revealed multiple gaps across platforms.

Best Practices:

• Use Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) platforms like Cymulate.
• Test real-world TTPs such as lateral movement and container escapes.
• Prioritize fixes based on actual detection-not assumptions.

Why Native Cloud Tools Are Not Enough

Cloud-native security tools offer a starting point — but they lack full coverage. Cymulate’s red team exercises show that relying solely on GuardDuty, Defender, or Security Command Center leaves gaps in visibility and response. Organizations need a layered security model that includes:

• Configuration management
• Runtime protection
• Continuous validation and red team emulation

How Softprom Can Help

As a trusted distributor of Cymulate, Softprom helps enterprise security teams across EMEA implement continuous security validation for Kubernetes and beyond.

• Product consultation
• Technical support and integration
• Local expertise and onboarding
• Ongoing education and training

Let’s build a stronger, more resilient Kubernetes environment together. Contact Softprom to schedule a Cymulate demo.