ZERO-TRUST ARCHITECTURE IMPLEMENTATION IN MULTI-CLOUD KUBERNETES ENVIRONMENTS
Subjects/Theme:
Zero-Trust Architecture, Kubernetes Security, Multi-Cloud, Container Security, Service Mesh, RBAC, Network Policies, Cloud-Native SecurityDescription
Security and Privacy in AI Systems,
Edited By: Dr. Sunita Chaudhary, Dr. Joydeb Patra
ISBN (978-81-685212-9-2)
The adoption of multi-cloud strategies and container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes has transformed modern enterprise infrastructure. However, this shift introduces complex security challenges, including expanded attack surfaces, identity management issues, and lateral movement risks. Zero-Trust Architecture (ZTA), based on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” offers a robust framework for securing distributed cloud-native environments. This paper presents a comprehensive implementation of Zero-Trust Architecture in multi-cloud Kubernetes environments, focusing on identity-based access control, micro-segmentation, continuous authentication, and policy enforcement. We evaluate the integration of service meshes, role-based access control (RBAC), and network policies to enforce zero-trust principles. Experimental results demonstrate that ZTA significantly reduces attack surfaces and mitigates lateral movement, while maintaining acceptable performance overhead. The study provides practical guidelines for deploying secure and scalable Kubernetes infrastructures across multiple cloud platforms.
