StrongDM Kubernetes: Zero Trust Access for Kubernetes Clusters

Kubernetes access management is a growing challenge for organizations that prioritize security, compliance, and operational efficiency. Traditional Kubernetes Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is complex, rigid, and prone to misconfigurations, leading to security risks and administrative headaches.

StrongDM’s Next-Gen Kubernetes solution eliminates these issues by providing automated cluster discovery, continuous RBAC sync, Just-In-Time (JIT) access, and Cedar-based policy enforcement—all while integrating seamlessly into DevOps workflows.

This article addresses common Kubernetes access questions, challenges StrongDM solves, and how it compares to other alternatives.

What Is StrongDM’s Next-Gen Kubernetes?

StrongDM’s Next-Gen Kubernetes provides secure, seamless access to Kubernetes clusters at scale. By eliminating standing privileges and enforcing Zero Trust security principles, StrongDM helps security teams maintain tight access controls without slowing down DevOps workflows.

Key capabilities include:

• Automated Cluster Discovery – Instantly detects and registers Kubernetes clusters.
• Continuous RBAC Sync – Prevents privilege creep and misconfigurations.
• Just-In-Time (JIT) Access – Grants time-limited, policy-driven permissions.
• Granular "Privilege Level" Escalation – User can now request for granular permissions on the cluster.
• Cedar-Based Policy Enforcement – Enforces fine-grained, context-aware security.
• Slack, Jira, and Teams Integrations – Allows teams to request and approve access without switching tools.

Who Benefits From StrongDM’s Kubernetes Access Solution? (And How?)

Organizations managing multi-cloud, hybrid, or on-prem Kubernetes environments will benefit the most. StrongDM is ideal for:

• Tech and SaaS – Secure Kubernetes access for microservices and cloud-native applications with fine-grained access control through Kubernetes groups.
• Financial Services – Strong access controls for compliance-driven environments.
• Healthcare and Life Sciences – Protects sensitive workloads in Kubernetes-based infrastructures.
• Retail and E-commerce – Scales access controls for dynamic cloud workloads.
• Media and Entertainment – Manages access to containerized video streaming and content distribution platforms.
• And more.

Roles that get the most out of StrongDM:

• CISOs and Security Leaders – Zero Trust security enforcement and compliance.
• Security Engineers – Automated policy management and RBAC governance.
• DevOps and Platform Engineers – Fast, frictionless, secure Kubernetes access.
• Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) – Just-In-Time troubleshooting access.
• Compliance Officers – Least-privilege enforcement and audit-ready controls.

How Does StrongDM Compare to the Alternative Way?

Common Problems StrongDM Solves for Kubernetes Access

1. How does StrongDM provide visibility into Kubernetes clusters?

Problem: Many organizations lack a clear view of how many Kubernetes clusters exist and who has access, leading to security gaps and compliance risks.

Solution: StrongDM’s Automated Cluster Discovery instantly identifies and registers Kubernetes clusters, providing complete visibility and eliminating blind spots.

Competitive Advantage: The alternative solution requires manual cluster registration, whereas StrongDM automates onboarding, saving security teams countless hours.

2. How does StrongDM prevent over-privileged access in Kubernetes?

Problem: Kubernetes’ native RBAC is complex, leading to over-provisioned accounts and long-lived credentials that increase attack surfaces.

Solution: Just-In-Time (JIT) Access ensures users receive only the necessary privileges for a limited time, eliminating standing admin access.

Competitive Advantage: StrongDM dynamically elevates access as needed, while alternative solution relies on static role assignments, increasing risk.

3. How does StrongDM unify access policies across multi-cloud Kubernetes environments?

Problem: Managing access across AWS, GCP, Azure, and on-prem clusters leads to policy inconsistencies.

Solution: Cedar-Based Policy Enforcement enables centralized access control, ensuring security policies remain uniform across all environments.

Competitive Advantage: Unlike alternative solutions’ rigid, manual policies, StrongDM dynamically adapts policies across all clusters.

4. How does StrongDM improve visibility into Kubernetes RBAC?

Problem: Security teams struggle to track who has access to what and detect misconfigurations in Kubernetes environments.

Solution: Automated RBAC Discovery and Continuous Sync pulls real-time RBAC definitions, ensuring security teams have instant visibility.

Competitive Advantage: The alternative solution enforces RBAC per resource, requiring more manual setups, whereas StrongDM streamlines role assignments at the group level.

5. How does StrongDM balance security with DevOps efficiency?

Problem: Security teams need tight controls, while DevOps teams need flexibility, often causing friction.

Solution: StrongDM integrates access workflows with Slack, Jira, and DevOps pipelines, allowing seamless access requests and approvals.

Competitive Advantage: Unlike alternative solutions, which require users to log into separate portals, StrongDM enables workflow-based security enforcement.

Key Features and Use Cases of StrongDM’s Kubernetes Access Solution

How does StrongDM’s Automated Cluster Discovery work?

Scenario: A security team needs visibility into all Kubernetes clusters.

How It Works: As part of the CI/CD process, when Kubernetes clusters are deployed with the SDM Helm chart, they are automatically registered to StrongDM.

Benefit: This streamlines cluster registration, ensuring real-time visibility, eliminating unmanaged clusters, and enabling consistent access control from the start.

How does Just-In-Time (JIT) access work in Kubernetes?

Scenario: A DevOps engineer needs temporary Kubernetes admin access for troubleshooting.

How It Works: The engineer requests access via Slack, Jira, or the StrongDM UI. Policies validate the request before granting time-limited access.

Benefit: Eliminates standing admin privileges, reducing security risks.

How does StrongDM enforce least-privilege access with Cedar-based policies?

Scenario: A compliance team needs dynamic, least-privilege access enforcement to meet SOC 2 and NIST requirements.

How It Works: StrongDM dynamically evaluates requests based on user role, location, and security posture.

Benefit: Faster, seamless security enforcement without disrupting workflows.

How does StrongDM integrate with Slack and Jira for Kubernetes access?

Scenario: Engineers prefer requesting access without logging into another tool.

How It Works: Users request access via Slack or Jira, and approvers can approve/reject within the same workflow.

Benefit: Frictionless security workflows that enhance productivity.

Answering Your Toughest Questions

Why choose StrongDM when we already have a solution for Kubernetes access?

An alternative solution requires manual cluster registration and lacks real-time RBAC enforcement. StrongDM automates both, ensuring security without operational slowdowns.

Why not just use Kubernetes' built-in RBAC?

Kubernetes RBAC is static and difficult to scale. StrongDM automates access management, preventing misconfigurations and enforcing Zero Trust.

Why choose StrongDM when we already have a traditional PAM tool?

Traditional PAM tools weren’t built for Kubernetes—they focus on static credentials, not dynamic, containerized access.

Why StrongDM Is the Best Choice for Kubernetes Access

StrongDM eliminates Kubernetes access complexity by providing:

• Automated Cluster Discovery – Eliminates security blind spots.
• Just-In-Time (JIT) Access – Removes standing admin privileges.
• Cedar-Based Policy Enforcement – Zero Trust enforcement across Kubernetes.
• Slack and Jira Integration – Security without workflow friction.
• Continuous RBAC & FGAC Sync – Prevents misconfigurations, security drift, and ensures access control is aligned with defined privilege levels.

Request a demo today and see how StrongDM secures Kubernetes access seamlessly!