This paper discusses a combination of isolatable microservices and software diversity as a mitigation technique against low-level exploitation; the effectiveness and benefits of such an architecture are substantiated. We argue that the core security benefit of microservices with diversity is increased control flow isolation. Additionally, a new microservices mitigation technique leveraging a security monitor service is introduced to further exploit the architectural benefits inherent to microservice architectures.
The microservice architecture is a subtype of distributed systems that has been attracting a lot of interest both in the industry and academia. Emerging research recognizes the need for a better understanding of microservice security, and, in particular, mechanisms that enable defence-in-depth and adaptive security. With the continuously growing number of possible attacks and defenses, the choice in the optimal defense strategy becomes non-trivial as well as time critical. We propose a cost-sensitive adaptable intrusion response system for microservices, which uses a game theoretic approach to automatically respond to network attacks in real time. Furthermore, we discuss both the applicable attacks and defense responses specific to microservices.
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