By default, Kubernetes services communicate in plaintext. Any pod on the network can intercept traffic between services. NetworkPolicies restrict which pods can communicate, but they do not encrypt traffic or verify identity.
The Three Layers of Secure Communication
- Identity (SPIFFE/SPIRE): Every service gets a cryptographic certificate proving who it is
- Encryption (mTLS): All traffic is encrypted and both sides verify each other
- Authorization (OPA): Policies control which services can access which endpoints
Learn This — Free
Our Cloud Native Security Engineering course covers secure communication across Modules 5-8 with full lab environments.