🍓Cloud Security Baseline for Azure Container Registry

1. Identity and Access Management (IAM)

1.1 Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Integration:

• Integration: Ensure ACR is integrated with Azure AD for centralized identity management.

• Conditional Access: Use Azure AD Conditional Access policies to enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users accessing ACR.

1.2 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):

• RBAC Implementation: Implement RBAC to assign permissions based on roles.

• Least Privilege: Follow the principle of least privilege by granting users only the permissions they need to perform their tasks.

1.3 Service Principal and Managed Identity:

• Service Principal: Use Azure AD service principals for automated access to ACR.

• Managed Identity: Use managed identities for Azure resources to securely access ACR without storing credentials.

2. Network Security

2.1 Private Endpoint:

• Private Link: Use Azure Private Link to provide private connectivity from a VNet to ACR, ensuring traffic stays within the Azure network.

• Network Security Groups (NSGs): Apply NSGs to control inbound and outbound traffic to the VNet where ACR is accessed.

2.2 Firewall Rules:

• IP Whitelisting: Configure firewall rules to restrict access to ACR based on IP address ranges.

• Service Endpoints: Use service endpoints to secure ACR to a specific VNet.

3. Data Protection

3.1 Data Encryption:

• At-Rest Encryption: Ensure container images are encrypted at rest using Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) with customer-managed keys (CMK).

• In-Transit Encryption: Enable encryption in transit using TLS for all communications with ACR.

3.2 Image Scanning:

• Vulnerability Scanning: Implement regular vulnerability scanning of container images stored in ACR using Azure Security Center or third-party tools.

• Security Baselines: Enforce security baselines for container images to ensure compliance with organizational standards.

4. Threat Protection

4.1 Azure Security Center:

• Enable Security Center: Enable Azure Security Center for continuous security assessment and recommendations for ACR.

• Advanced Threat Protection: Enable advanced threat protection to detect and respond to threats targeting ACR.

4.2 Azure Defender:

• Enable Azure Defender: Enable Azure Defender for Containers to protect against threats and vulnerabilities in containerized applications.

• Azure Sentinel: Use Azure Sentinel for advanced security analytics and threat intelligence.

5. Monitoring and Logging

5.1 Activity Logging:

• Azure Monitor: Enable Azure Monitor to collect and analyze logs and metrics from ACR.

• Activity Logs: Configure Azure Activity Logs to monitor administrative operations and track changes in ACR.

5.2 Log Analytics:

• Log Analytics Workspace: Use Azure Log Analytics to query and analyze log data.

• Alerts and Notifications: Implement alerts and notifications for critical events and anomalies to enable timely responses to potential security incidents.

6. Compliance and Governance

6.1 Policy Management:

• Azure Policy: Use Azure Policy to enforce organizational standards and assess compliance at scale.

• Built-in Policies: Implement built-in policies for regulatory compliance such as GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001.

6.2 Resource Tagging:

• Tagging: Implement resource tagging to categorize and manage resources effectively.

• Cost Management: Use tags for cost management, security, and compliance tracking to maintain visibility and control over resource usage.

7. Backup and Recovery

7.1 Data Backup:

• Azure Backup: Implement Azure Backup to regularly backup critical data and configurations.

• Secure Backup Storage: Ensure backup data is encrypted and stored securely.

7.2 Disaster Recovery:

• Disaster Recovery Plan: Develop and test a disaster recovery plan for ACR.

• Recovery Objectives: Ensure recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO) meet business requirements to minimize downtime and data loss.

8. Image Lifecycle Management

8.1 Image Retention Policies:

• Retention Policies: Implement image retention policies to automatically delete untagged or unused images after a certain period.

• Image Cleanup: Regularly clean up unused images to reduce storage costs and potential security risks.

8.2 Image Tagging:

• Tagging Conventions: Use consistent tagging conventions to manage and identify different versions of images.

• Tag Protection: Implement tag protection policies to prevent overwriting important tags.

9. Endpoint Security

9.1 Endpoint Protection:

• Device Protection: Ensure devices accessing ACR are protected with endpoint security solutions.

• Compliance Policies: Implement device compliance policies using Microsoft Intune to enforce security standards.

9.2 Secure Access Workstations:

• Hardened Workstations: Use dedicated and hardened workstations for accessing and managing ACR, ensuring these systems are secured against threats.

10. User Education and Awareness

10.1 Security Training:

• Regular Training: Provide regular security awareness training to all users to educate them on best practices and emerging threats.

• Phishing Awareness: Educate users on phishing attacks, password management, and data protection to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks.

10.2 Incident Response:

• Incident Response Plan: Develop and communicate an incident response plan to ensure a coordinated and effective response to security incidents.

• Response Exercises: Conduct regular incident response exercises to test the plan and ensure preparedness.

Implementing the Baseline

To implement this security baseline, you can use Azure Blueprints to automate the deployment of policies, role assignments, and resource configurations. Azure Blueprints can help ensure that your ACR environment consistently meets your organization’s security and compliance requirements.

Here is an example of how you might use Azure Policy to enforce some of these configurations: