Container Runtime Integrity Monitoring for Dynamic Orchestrator Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing integrity monitoring systems for container runtime environments in industrial IoT settings fail to detect dynamic start and stop operations of container instances initiated by the orchestrator, relying on static rule sets that are not adaptive to the orchestrator's runtime configuration, allowing unauthorized access and manual installation of software.
Innovation Solution
A method for dynamic integrity monitoring that creates instance-specific and guest machine-specific integrity rules based on the orchestrator's runtime configuration, using digital signatures to ensure compliance with policies, and updates these policies dynamically with events such as container instance changes or terminations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If static rule sets are used for integrity monitoring, then the monitoring system is simple to implement, but it cannot detect dynamic start and stop operations of container instances initiated by the orchestrator
Solution Approach 1:
The integrity policy is transformed from a static rule set to a dynamic structure that automatically adapts to runtime configurations. The orchestrator generates integrity policies based on actual container instance configurations, enabling the policy to dynamically reflect the current state of the system and detect unauthorized changes or instances.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the orchestrator continuously monitors container instance states and updates integrity policies accordingly. When container instances are started, stopped, or modified, the orchestrator receives feedback about these changes and automatically adjusts the integrity policy to maintain accurate monitoring coverage.
2Reliability
If static rule sets are used for integrity monitoring, then the system requires minimal configuration updates, but it allows unauthorized access and manual installation of software
Solution Approach 1:
The integrity monitoring system transitions from static rules to dynamic policies that automatically adapt to runtime configurations. The orchestrator generates and updates integrity policies based on actual container instance states, ensuring the system remains adaptable to legitimate changes while maintaining security against unauthorized access.
Solution Approach 2:
The orchestrator automatically generates and updates integrity policies without requiring manual intervention. The system self-adjusts to configuration changes by having the orchestrator continuously monitor container states and regenerate integrity policies accordingly, eliminating the need for manual rule updates while maintaining security.
3Measurement precision
If instance-specific integrity rules are created and dynamically updated for each container instance, then detection of unauthorized instances is improved, but the complexity of policy management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The orchestrator serves multiple functions: it manages container instances, tracks their configurations, generates integrity policies, and distributes them to guest machines. This multi-functionality consolidates policy management complexity into a single centralized component rather than requiring distributed policy management across multiple systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically generates instance-specific integrity rules based on container configuration data without requiring manual policy creation. The orchestrator extracts relevant information from container definitions and automatically formulates corresponding integrity rules, reducing policy management complexity while maintaining high detection precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the dynamic integrity monitoring of a container runtime environment executed on a host computer, in which environment at least one container is executed and is managed by means of an orchestration device, comprising the steps of: in the orchestration device, - when a container instance is started in the container runtime environment by the orchestration device, creating (S1) an instance-specific integrity rule concerning at least one resource of the host computer, which resource is allocated to executing the container instance, - adding (S2) the instance-specific integrity rule to form a host-computer-specific integrity standard which comprises an instance-specific integrity rule for each container instance already executed in the container runtime environment of the host computer and is arranged in the orchestration device, - transmitting (S3) the host-computer-specific integrity standard to the host computer; in the host computer, - checking (S4) the resources on the host computer allocated by container instances against the host-computer-specific integrity standard, and - outputting (S5) an alarm message if the check reveals a breach of the host-computer-specific integrity standard.