The book "Kubernetes Secrets Handbook" by Rom Adams is a practical guide for working with secrets in Kubernetes, from basic YAML manifests to advanced encryption patterns and integration with external systems. Security isn't an add-on, but a mandatory element of modern cloud architecture. Especially in Kubernetes, where improperly stored secrets can compromise entire infrastructure.
The author emphasizes security, compliance with best practices, and real-world usage scenarios in DevOps and SRE practice. Approaches to access management, automation, updating, and auditing secrets in production clusters are covered. This is an engineering manual for building a sustainable and secure system for managing sensitive information.
Download "Kubernetes Secrets Handbook" in PDF for free if you're responsible for security, DevOps, or implementing CI/CD in Kubernetes clusters. After just the first chapters, you'll be able to reduce risks, standardize secrets management, automate rotation, and protect your cluster from configuration errors.
Who Should Study This Manual?
It's designed for specialists working with Kubernetes under production loads, where security isn't an option, but a mandatory requirement.
- DevOps Engineers: Master secure management of passwords, tokens, and certificates within clusters.
- SRE Specialists: Get tools for monitoring, auditing, and debugging secret leaks.
- Security Engineers: Learn how to build reliable trust chains and implement encryption in storage.
- Solution Architects: Master models for data transmission and isolation in multi-cluster environments.
- Developers implementing CI/CD: Learn to manage keys, tokens, and confidential information in pipelines.
What Knowledge Will You Gain from Reading "Kubernetes Secrets Handbook"?
It systematically reveals secrets management in Kubernetes β from basics to advanced practices.
- Different types of Kubernetes Secrets and their format
- Creating, mounting, and using secrets in pods
- Integration with external systems: HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager
- Secure storage β TLS, KMS, encryption at etcd level
- Updating and rotating secrets without application restart
- RBAC and limiting access to secrets
- CI/CD integrations for secrets management automation
- Best practices and anti-patterns from real cases
How and Where Is This Publication's Material Applied in Practice?
After reading "Kubernetes Secrets Handbook", you will be able to:
- Set up secure storage of keys, tokens, API data in Kubernetes
- Create and update secrets through GitOps and CI/CD pipelines
- Integrate secrets into microservice architecture without leaks
- Enhance security of service interactions within clusters
- Implement centralized audit and access tracking for secrets
These skills are critical when working with banking, medical, corporate systems and under heightened security requirements.
More About the Author of the Book
The Developer's Opinion About the Book
A specialized guide to managing secrets and sensitive data in Kubernetes. Covers RBAC, secret injection, encryption, and GitOps integration. After reading, youβll handle secrets securely in real-world cluster deployments. Recommended for DevOps engineers and security-conscious platform teams. It also dives into Helm, Sealed Secrets, and external secret management tools like HashiCorp Vault, making it ideal for regulated or enterprise-grade Kubernetes environments.
Brian Wallace, Systems Administrator
FAQ for "Kubernetes Secrets Handbook"
1. Can I use this guide if I'm just starting to work with Kubernetes?
Yes, but basic understanding of YAML manifests, pods, and kubectl is desirable. The handbook starts with simple examples: how to create a Secret, how to connect it to a container, how to restrict access through RBAC. Then complexity grows, covering encryption, rotation, storage in Vault topics. The author explains not only "how to do it," but "why it's important." Even a beginner can quickly implement basic protection for sensitive data and understand architectural risks.
2. What tools and services are covered in "Kubernetes Secrets Handbook" besides standard Secret APIs?
It describes integration with HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, GCP Secret Manager, and sealed-secrets from Bitnami. It shows how to build security chains: from data source to container. Tools like kubeseal, Helm Secrets, SOPS, KMS are also covered. These tools allow encrypting secrets in Git, centrally managing keys, and implementing automatic rotation.
3. Does this publication include practical recommendations for protecting etcd?
Yes. The author emphasizes that etcd stores all Kubernetes objects, including secrets. It breaks down how to enable data encryption in etcd, use KMS, restrict API access, and configure TLS connections. Risks associated with plaintext data in etcd are also indicated, along with regular audit practices.
4. Is this reference suitable for teams practicing GitOps?
Yes, completely. It describes approaches to secrets management in GitOps environments: how to encrypt files, use Sealed Secrets, avoid sensitive data getting into public repositories. Tools like SOPS and kubeseal, integration with Flux and Argo CD are covered. The author emphasizes how to ensure automatic deployment without storing secrets in plain text.
Information
Author: | Emmanouil Gkatziouras, Rom Adams | Language: | English |
Publisher: | Packt Publishing | ISBN-13: | 978-1805123224 |
Publication Date: | January 31, 2024 | ISBN-10: | 180512322X |
Print Length: | 294 pages | Category: | SysAdmin Books |
Free download "Kubernetes Secrets Handbook" by Emmanouil Gkatziouras, Rom Adams in PDF
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