Secure Azure Platform with AKS and DevSecOps
AKS platform implementation with GitHub security, delivery controls, container boundaries, and operational handover.
Project profile
- Engagement: Azure Kubernetes Service implementation with DevSecOps and GitHub security
- Focus: Platform boundaries, identity, delivery controls, workload security, and operation
- Output: Platform decisions, pipeline-control records, deployment evidence, runbooks, and backlog
Secure the path from source to runtime
The platform was treated as a connected delivery path rather than an isolated Kubernetes cluster. Source control, pull requests, build identities, container images, deployment approvals, secrets, cluster access, and runtime signals were reviewed as related controls.
Responsibilities were separated across application, platform, security, and operations teams. This made it possible to identify which controls belonged in the repository and pipeline, which belonged to the AKS platform, and which remained with the workload.
AKS provides a managed control plane. It does not secure application code, container images, deployment pipelines, or operational decisions by itself.
What the work covers
- AKS platform, network, identity, and access boundaries
- Repository, pull-request, build, and deployment controls
- Container registry, image evidence, and promotion decisions
- Secret handling, workload configuration, and environment separation
- Logging, monitoring, incident routing, upgrade, and handover responsibilities
Delivery path
1. Confirm platform and workload ownership. 2. Define repository, identity, and environment boundaries. 3. Establish build, security-check, approval, and deployment stages. 4. Connect registry and cluster access with least-privilege identities. 5. Validate deployment evidence, runtime signals, and rollback paths. 6. Record upgrade, exception, and operational responsibilities.
What to be aware of
- Pipeline checks need owners, thresholds, and an exception path.
- Image scanning does not identify every application or runtime risk.
- Secrets should not become repository or pipeline variables without controlled handling.
- Cluster upgrades, node images, dependencies, and workload compatibility require recurring review.
- Platform controls do not replace application threat modeling and secure development practices.
Outcome
The engagement produced an AKS delivery path with documented control points from source through runtime. Platform and workload responsibilities remained separate, and unresolved risks were retained in the operational backlog.
Evidence of delivery
- AKS platform and responsibility decisions
- Repository and pipeline-control records
- Identity, registry, and deployment evidence
- Security-check and exception notes
- Monitoring, rollback, and operational runbooks
- Upgrade and improvement backlog