How to Secure Containers with Cosign and Distroless Images
Home » Blog » How to Secure Containers with Cosign and Distroless Images

How to Secure Containers with Cosign and Distroless Images

Container images and container technology aren’t new to many DevOps engineers, developers, and SREs. However, it’s vital that securing container images is at the top of their minds because of security lapses. The authority of the container images can’t be compromised in any manner or form because they are vital to the aspects of the container images. There have been recent attacks on backdoors through various channels that have compromised container technology. That is why the need is now to secure containers with cosign and distroless images.

Customers continue downloading new software which can compromise container security and leave them vulnerable to more attacks. That can’t be allowed to happen, and in this post, we will be sharing how to cosign, and distroless images can help you with that. It will ensure that your application containers are more securely running in production and deployed.

Unlock the future of intelligent applications with our cutting-edge Generative AI integration services!

What Are Distroless Container Images?

The best part about Distroless container images is that they don’t have the operating system and only host the language part of any system. That leaves them more secure when an attack is launched because there are no OS system components in them. They are vital for securing containers because attackers can’t get to the operating system and can only rely on language formation. They have fewer packages than other containers and are more secure in return. The attack surface is reduced and leaves them less vulnerable to any hacking attempts made by attackers.

That’s why it’s encouraged to use distroless container images because they are more secure and leave no room for attackers trying to exploit the system. They are not complex but have fewer components to be deployed more securely and act as buffers. Some of the benefits of distroless container images are as follows:

  • Enhances container security
  • Decreases the container size
  • Decreases the scope of compliance
  • Enhances distribution performances of the container
  • Uses fewer resources, so it is more cost-efficient

These reasons are the main factors behind the use of distroless images in containers because they are more cost-efficient and more efficient in diffusing attacks. There are fewer compliance issues to deal with, and the container runs more securely.

service disabled veteran owned small business

SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (SDVOSB)

Distroless Container Images with Cosign Verification

Google has developed a tool called cosign, which verifies distroless images and ensures that they are meant to go where they are supposed to. That has made distroless image containers more secure and trustworthy because all the images are cosigned and verified. There can be no room for error in this manner, and the trustworthy nature of the cosign ensures your image containers are more secure than ever before.

It’s become a foolproof way to test containers, and container technology has benefited greatly with cosign verification. The tool has proven to enhance container security and ensure that distroless images can be readily used without verification from outside parties.

Why Use Cosign with Distroless Images?

Cosign is even more important with distroless images because attackers can access containers even with distroless images and compromise the packages. That can cause numerous problems as people can be tricked into downloading and installing malware. However, with cosign verification, the threat is minimized because the distroless images are verified, and there is minimal risk of any third party launching an attack with the container.

Attackers may try launching malicious packages to disrupt the flow, and that can’t be allowed to happen. That’s why distroless images are used with cosign so that any container image that is being forwarded can’t fall into the wrong hands or be manipulated in any way, shape, or form. Verifying distroless images with cosign handles all that problem and ensures that malicious attackers don’t target container images with absolute certainty.

Greater Security with Distroless Images and Cosign

The threat of attackers sending malicious code and packages with containers is prevalent, which distroless images have aimed to rectify. The verification with cosign has ensured that such instances rarely occur, and even if they do, they don’t compromise the entire container. The distroless images container has placed greater emphasis on security and allows developers to combat the negative effects of hacking.

The advanced version of their security ensures that container images can now be foolproof and well equipped to withstand such attacks. That has led to cosign verification becoming a standard procedure with distroless images now as they work well together to stop any attacks. The greater security offered with such packages has put developers’ minds at ease, knowing that they can develop packages without worrying about the threat of outside attacks.

Distroless images also help reduce the burden on them as it reduces costs and ensures that vital pieces of software aren’t compromised or fall into the wrong hands. Cosign verification does its part well by ensuring that the package is secure and hasn’t been compromised. That has placed greater faith in the hands of developers, who now know that they have the tools to combat cyber threats and can design container images without worrying about the results.

Small Disadvantaged Business

Small Disadvantaged Business

Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) provides access to specialized skills and capabilities contributing to improved competitiveness and efficiency.

Conclusion of How to Secure Containers with Cosign and Distroless Images

Distroless images along with cosign verification is the way forward for software developers and coders as they realize the immense potential of these two technologies working together. They have recognized that securing container images and advancing container security is more important in these times, so such measures must be taken.

That’s why most developers are working towards making distroless images and cosign verification a standard practice, ensuring they don’t have to worry about security and compliance issues. It is the way forward and will ensure that any threat placed on the security of container images is thwarted, and even if they fall into the wrong hands, they will not be compromised.

Therefore, your business must work towards using distroless images and cosign verification to secure your container images. It may be the only solution to secure containers and allow you to share vital information with your users. Contact us for additional strategies and solutions related to how to Secure Containers with Cosign and Distroless Images.

Further blogs within this How to Secure Containers with Cosign and Distroless Images category.

Frequently Asked Questions