Red Vs. Blue: A Live Attacker-Defender Showdown in Kubernetes Security
Lucy Sweet, Uber & Sandeep Kanabar, Gen
Abstract
What if learning Kubernetes security could be thrilling, practical - and a little chaotic? In this interactive session, we stage a live attacker-versus-defender “chess match” inside a Kubernetes cluster. One speaker plays the role of a determined attacker, exploiting common misconfigurations, privilege escalations, and overly permissive RBAC. The other, a vigilant defender, responds with best-practice mitigations and live troubleshooting. You’ll watch a Kubernetes environment come under siege - and see how thoughtful, layered defenses can stop even persistent attackers in their tracks. Expect live demos, sharp insights, and just enough chaos to keep it real. We’ll cover escalating security scenarios, from pod privilege abuse to namespace isolation, resource quotas and Admission Webhooks, showing not just what to do, but why it matters. This isn’t theory-it’s security by example, performed live.
