Microservices Security Fundamentals

Abstract

The microservices architecture expands the attack surface with multiple microservices communicating with each other remotely. Instead of having one or two entry points, now we have hundreds of entry points to worry about. It’s a common principle in security that the strength of a given system is only as strong as the strength of its weakest link. The more entry points we have, the broader the attack surface, and the higher the risk of being attacked. Unlike in a monolithic application, the depth and breadth we need to worry about in securing a microservice is much higher. There are multiple perspectives in securing microservices: secure development lifecycle and test automation, security in DevOps, and application level security.