We are working hard adding features to our new Tripwire for DevOps service, initially announced at BlackHat 2018. If you are a loyal State of Security follower, last you read we added Auditing for Amazon Machine Images (aka AMIs). Today, we are introducing CIS policy compliance auditing for Docker images. Tripwire for DevOps allows you to evaluate your Docker Images to check for policy compliance at build time.

An effective container security strategy consists of many parts. Organizations should first secure the build environment using secure code control along with build tools and controllers. Next, they should secure the contents of their containers using container validation, code analysis and security unit tests. Finally, they should develop a plan to protect their containers in production systems by focusing on runtime security, platform security and orchestration manager security.

Container security is not a unitary action but a multifaceted process. It involves securing the build environment using secure code control and other strategies. The procedure also necessitates securing containers’ contents via code analysis and unit tests.

Organizations face numerous primary threats and security concerns when it comes to their container environments. Those issues extend into their build environment, an area which organizations need to protect because it’s usually the least secure aspect of their container infrastructure. They also extend into other areas, including inside the containers themselves.

As I noted in a previous article, the build environment is a key area on which organizations should focus their container security efforts. Companies don’t usually think of the build environment when it comes to securing their containers. But it’s critical that they do.