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This security baseline applies guidance from the Microsoft cloud security benchmark version 1.0 to Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO). The Microsoft cloud security benchmark provides recommendations on how you can secure your cloud solutions on Azure. The content is grouped by the security controls defined by the Microsoft cloud security benchmark and the related guidance applicable to Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO).
You can monitor this security baseline and its recommendations using Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Azure Policy definitions will be listed in the Regulatory Compliance section of the Microsoft Defender for Cloud portal page.
When a feature has relevant Azure Policy Definitions, they are listed in this baseline to help you measure compliance with the Microsoft cloud security benchmark controls and recommendations. Some recommendations may require a paid Microsoft Defender plan to enable certain security scenarios.
Note
Features not applicable to Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO) have been excluded. To see how Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO) completely maps to the Microsoft cloud security benchmark, see the full Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO) security baseline mapping file.
Security profile
The security profile summarizes high-impact behaviors of Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO), which may result in increased security considerations.
Service Behavior Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Product Category | Compute, Containers |
Customer can access HOST / OS | No Access |
Service can be deployed into customer's virtual network | True |
Stores customer content at rest | True |
Network security
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Network security.
NS-1: Establish network segmentation boundaries
Features
Virtual Network Integration
Description: Service supports deployment into customer's private Virtual Network (VNet). Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | True | Microsoft |
Feature notes: Azure Red Hat OpenShift clusters running OpenShift 4 require a virtual network with two empty subnets, for the master and worker nodes. You can either create a new virtual network for this, or use an existing virtual network.
Configuration Guidance: No additional configurations are required as this is enabled on a default deployment.
Reference: Tutorial: Create an Azure Red Hat OpenShift 4 cluster
NS-2: Secure cloud services with network controls
Features
Azure Private Link
Description: Service native IP filtering capability for filtering network traffic (not to be confused with NSG or Azure Firewall). Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Feature notes: Azure Private Link service can be configured to access ARO cluster API endpoint and K8s load balancer type services deployed on the cluster.
Configuration Guidance: Deploy private endpoints for all Azure resources that support the Private Link feature, to establish a private access point for the resources.
Reference: Networking components
Disable Public Network Access
Description: Service supports disabling public network access either through using service-level IP ACL filtering rule (not NSG or Azure Firewall) or using a 'Disable Public Network Access' toggle switch. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Disable public network access either using the service-level IP ACL filtering rule or a toggling switch for public network access.
Reference: Networking policies
Identity management
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Identity management.
IM-1: Use centralized identity and authentication system
Features
Azure AD Authentication Required for Data Plane Access
Description: Service supports using Azure AD authentication for data plane access. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Use Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) as the default authentication method to control your data plane access.
Reference: Configure Azure Active Directory authentication for an Azure Red Hat OpenShift 4 cluster
Local Authentication Methods for Data Plane Access
Description: Local authentications methods supported for data plane access, such as a local username and password. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | True | Microsoft |
Feature notes: Avoid the usage of local authentication methods or accounts, these should be disabled wherever possible. Instead use Azure AD to authenticate where possible.
Configuration Guidance: No additional configurations are required as this is enabled on a default deployment.
Reference: Tutorial: Connect to an Azure Red Hat OpenShift 4 cluster
IM-3: Manage application identities securely and automatically
Features
Managed Identities
Description: Data plane actions support authentication using managed identities. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Service Principals
Description: Data plane supports authentication using service principals. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: For services that don't support managed identities, use Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to create a service principal with restricted permissions at the resource level. Configure service principals with certificate credentials and fall back to client secrets for authentication.
Reference: Create and use a service principal to deploy an Azure Red Hat OpenShift cluster
IM-7: Restrict resource access based on conditions
Features
Conditional Access for Data Plane
Description: Data plane access can be controlled using Azure AD Conditional Access Policies. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
IM-8: Restrict the exposure of credential and secrets
Features
Service Credential and Secrets Support Integration and Storage in Azure Key Vault
Description: Data plane supports native use of Azure Key Vault for credential and secrets store. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Feature notes: You can either use Azure Key Vault Provider for Secrets Store CSI Driver to protect secrets, or connect Azure Red Hat OpenShift cluster to Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes and use the Azure Key Vault Secrets Provider extension to fetch secrets.
Configuration Guidance: Ensure that secrets and credentials are stored in secure locations such as Azure Key Vault, instead of embedding them into code or configuration files.
Privileged access
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Privileged access.
PA-1: Separate and limit highly privileged/administrative users
Features
Local Admin Accounts
Description: Service has the concept of a local administrative account. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | True | Microsoft |
Feature notes: Avoid the usage of local authentication methods or accounts, these should be disabled wherever possible. Instead use Azure AD to authenticate where possible.
Configuration Guidance: No additional configurations are required as this is enabled on a default deployment.
Reference: Tutorial: Connect to an Azure Red Hat OpenShift 4 cluster
PA-7: Follow just enough administration (least privilege) principle
Features
Azure RBAC for Data Plane
Description: Azure Role-Based Access Control (Azure RBAC) can be used to managed access to service's data plane actions. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Feature notes: Azure RBAC on the data plane is not supported, but service native RBAC is supported.
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
PA-8: Determine access process for cloud provider support
Features
Customer Lockbox
Description: Customer Lockbox can be used for Microsoft support access. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: In support scenarios where Microsoft needs to access your data, use Customer Lockbox to review, then approve or reject each of Microsoft's data access requests.
Reference: Authorize support requests for cluster access with Azure Lockbox
Data protection
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Data protection.
DP-1: Discover, classify, and label sensitive data
Features
Sensitive Data Discovery and Classification
Description: Tools (such as Azure Purview or Azure Information Protection) can be used for data discovery and classification in the service. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
DP-2: Monitor anomalies and threats targeting sensitive data
Features
Data Leakage/Loss Prevention
Description: Service supports DLP solution to monitor sensitive data movement (in customer's content). Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
DP-3: Encrypt sensitive data in transit
Features
Data in Transit Encryption
Description: Service supports data in-transit encryption for data plane. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | True | Microsoft |
Configuration Guidance: No additional configurations are required as this is enabled on a default deployment.
DP-4: Enable data at rest encryption by default
Features
Data at Rest Encryption Using Platform Keys
Description: Data at-rest encryption using platform keys is supported, any customer content at rest is encrypted with these Microsoft managed keys. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | True | Microsoft |
Feature notes: By default, the OS disks of the virtual machines in an Azure Red Hat OpenShift cluster were encrypted with auto-generated keys managed by Microsoft Azure. For additional security, customers can encrypt the OS disks with self-managed keys when deploying an Azure Red Hat OpenShift cluster.
Configuration Guidance: No additional configurations are required as this is enabled on a default deployment.
Reference: Encrypt OS disks with a customer-managed key on Azure Red Hat OpenShift
DP-5: Use customer-managed key option in data at rest encryption when required
Features
Data at Rest Encryption Using CMK
Description: Data at-rest encryption using customer-managed keys is supported for customer content stored by the service. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Feature notes: Customers have the ability to encrypt their customer content on physical volumes and OS disks using CMK. However, the customer content (service principal credentials associated with customer applications) stored in the service's database cannot be encrypted using CMK.
Configuration Guidance: If required for regulatory compliance, define the use case and service scope where encryption using customer-managed keys are needed. Enable and implement data at rest encryption using customer-managed key for those services.
Note: There are instances that do not support encryption using CMK.
Reference: Encrypt OS disks with a customer-managed key on Azure Red Hat OpenShift
DP-6: Use a secure key management process
Features
Key Management in Azure Key Vault
Description: The service supports Azure Key Vault integration for any customer keys, secrets, or certificates. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Use Azure Key Vault to create and control the life cycle of your encryption keys, including key generation, distribution, and storage. Rotate and revoke your keys in Azure Key Vault and your service based on a defined schedule or when there is a key retirement or compromise. When there is a need to use customer-managed key (CMK) in the workload, service, or application level, ensure you follow the best practices for key management: Use a key hierarchy to generate a separate data encryption key (DEK) with your key encryption key (KEK) in your key vault. Ensure keys are registered with Azure Key Vault and referenced via key IDs from the service or application. If you need to bring your own key (BYOK) to the service (such as importing HSM-protected keys from your on-premises HSMs into Azure Key Vault), follow recommended guidelines to perform initial key generation and key transfer.
Reference: Encrypt persistent volume claims with a customer-managed key (CMK) on Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO)
DP-7: Use a secure certificate management process
Features
Certificate Management in Azure Key Vault
Description: The service supports Azure Key Vault integration for any customer certificates. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Asset management
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Asset management.
AM-2: Use only approved services
Features
Azure Policy Support
Description: Service configurations can be monitored and enforced via Azure Policy. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Feature notes: Connect Azure Red Hat OpenShift cluster to Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes and monitor and enforce configurations by using the Azure Policy Extension.
Configuration Guidance: Use Azure Arc to configure Azure Policy to audit and enforce configurations of your Azure resources. Use Azure Monitor to create alerts when there is a configuration deviation detected on the resources. Use Azure Policy [deny] and [deploy if not exists] effects to enforce secure configuration across Azure resources.
Reference: Install Azure Policy Extension for Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes
Logging and threat detection
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Logging and threat detection.
LT-1: Enable threat detection capabilities
Features
Microsoft Defender for Service / Product Offering
Description: Service has an offering-specific Microsoft Defender solution to monitor and alert on security issues. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
LT-4: Enable logging for security investigation
Features
Azure Resource Logs
Description: Service produces resource logs that can provide enhanced service-specific metrics and logging. The customer can configure these resource logs and send them to their own data sink like a storage account or log analytics workspace. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: Enable resource logs for the service. For example, Key Vault supports additional resource logs for actions that get a secret from a key vault or and Azure SQL has resource logs that track requests to a database. The content of resource logs varies by the Azure service and resource type.
Reference: Azure Monitor Container Insights for Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes clusters
Backup and recovery
For more information, see the Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Backup and recovery.
BR-1: Ensure regular automated backups
Features
Azure Backup
Description: The service can be backed up by the Azure Backup service. Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
False | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Configuration Guidance: This feature is not supported to secure this service.
Service Native Backup Capability
Description: Service supports its own native backup capability (if not using Azure Backup). Learn more.
Supported | Enabled By Default | Configuration Responsibility |
---|---|---|
True | False | Customer |
Configuration Guidance: There is no current Microsoft guidance for this feature configuration. Please review and determine if your organization wants to configure this security feature.
Reference: Create an Azure Red Hat OpenShift 4 cluster Application Backup
Next steps
- See the Microsoft cloud security benchmark overview
- Learn more about Azure security baselines