Accenture’s Kubernetes Certification Covers Security at Every Level
It’s no secret that containers are taking over the world. During the last year and a half, we have seen Kubernetes move from the client basement to the client board room. While they were going full steam ahead with containers — security was an afterthought. No one understood containers enough to deploy with best practices let alone how to secure. Container security is the chief challenge today to overcome when deploying containers.
With the innovation of Kubernetes comes new security challenges. The security tools of the past rack and stack deployments no longer apply. New vulnerabilities such as kernel exploits, vulnerable library exploits, cross-host containers attacks, compromised secrets and vulnerable application exploits resemble the new attack landscape. These security vulnerabilities call for an urgent need to upskill practitioners or hire container security specialists at scale.
Fortunately, over these last six years of development, the Accenture Container Practice has been developing a Container Security Reference Architecture to cover the full spectrum of attack vectors within Kubernetes. This reference architecture has been used at many client assessments to help secure their Kubernetes clusters and was primed to scale within the market.
In an effort to provide clients with top-level security at every level and help upskill the industry, we worked with the Linux Foundation and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation to spearhead the creation of the new Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist certification (CKS).
The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, and the CNCF, which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, worked with Forman and a team of selected Kubernetes experts globally to develop the Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) certification.
CKS serves to certify practitioners with a high proficiency for securing container-based applications and Kubernetes platforms during build, deployment and runtime. As a result of Accenture’s proactive approach to Kubernetes security, the model for the certification is based on learnings on Accenture’s Container Practice, which has tried and tested the container security reference architecture.
“Not only has cloud conquered the world, but the adoption of containers and other cloud native technologies is also accelerating,” said Clyde Seepersad, SVP, and general manager of training & certification at The Linux Foundation. “As this trend continues, organizations’ concerns over the security of their application containers are growing. Individuals with experience securing containers are already in high demand, and as that demand increases, it is necessary to have a way to verifiably confirm candidates have the skills to succeed The Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist exam will help grow the pool of qualified talent, while also providing employers with confidence that their teams are able to handle the challenges of securing these technologies.”
The Kubernetes Security Certification will be a performance-based certification exam that tests competence across a broad range of best practices for securing container-based applications and Kubernetes platforms during build, deployment and runtime. Before being allowed to take the exam, candidates must hold a current Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) certification to demonstrate that they possess sufficient Kubernetes expertise.
If you wish to obtain the CKS certification, the exam will be available for enrollment in November. More information from the Linux Foundation is available here. Those who wish to pursue the CKS but do not already hold a CKA certification can learn more about that exam here.
For more information about Accenture’s Container Security Reference Architecture and how to safely and securely recognize the benefits of containerization, Kubernetes, and application modernization, contact me. Learn more about the Accenture Google Business Group here.