Debunking containerization security myths
Tags: container, docker, devops, kubernetes
Published: 2022-04-05 15:05:00

Containerization technology rose into popularity due to massive use of docker and kubernetes. It is all about packing the requirements of an application under development in the form of a base image. The image can then run in isolated containers on different systems. According to [Gartner](https://www.itopstimes.com/contain/enterprise-container-strategy-its-time-to-jump-on-board/), organizations are going to heavily rely on containerization by the year 2023. As businesses are migrating to the cloud, containerization has become the choice for development. That’s why it’s crucial for you to know what are the facts and myths circulating around containerization security. 


##Myth 1: Containers are inherently insecure 

Containers themselves are security tools that offer other methods for your application security. Guaranteed that they are not completely impenetrable, but to say that they don’t offer security is a lie.They provide a faster and safer mechanism for patching softwares. 

Container platforms also have some additional security capabilities. For example, by restricting the container's visibility into the outside world and limiting its communication with unnecessary resources, we can secure both containers and the applications. 

##Myth 2: Containerizing an application provides greater performance and security.

Containerization technology improves the development process time and helps to reduce overall cost. It helps to ensure security only as a part of the monitoring process followed by its complementary DevOps methodologies. One should not rely solely on containerization to offer any stand-alone security services.


##Myth 3: You need additional security for securing your container application

It is recommended to examine your container solution thoroughly before investing in additional security solutions. Integrated security is an essential component of the container platform. There is no need to extend the budget for a separate security solution if your current container platform meets those needs. 

For example, most container platforms apply seccomp profiles to make it easier to use Linux Security Modules. By leveraging such capabilities of containers, you can mitigate many security attacks.

##Myth 4: Containers are less secure than VMs

There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in this myth. The truth is that containers done right are much more secure than virtual machines. Using VMs, it is assumed that the application will not escape the virtual environment. The assumption has no record as to what to do if they escape the environment. On the other hand, it is much simpler to apply read-only environments in containers than in VMs. 	

##Myth 5: It’s hard for containers to maintain security compliance

It is easy to achieve compliance with containers. Containers leverage policies that in turn, make it feasible to predetermine infrastructure for easy auditing. These policies can be applied for machine clusters, scaling auditing, and visibility. Containers also enable automation that strictly adheres to industry and government regulations. 

Apart from debunking security myths, there are many more factors one need to go through before they can successfully implement containerization technology within their organization. You can read all about containerization technology in the [original article](https://www.simform.com/blog/containerization-technology/).