Kyverno Network Security Templates

When to Use This Skill

Network policies control traffic between pods, namespaces, and external endpoints. These templates enforce network segmentation and prevent unauthorized communication.

Network Policies Require CNI Support

NetworkPolicy resources only function when your CNI plugin supports them. Verify your cluster's CNI (Calico, Cilium, Weave Net) before deploying network policies.

When to Apply

Scenario 1: Prevent Unapproved External Exposure

Block LoadBalancer services except for approved namespaces:

# Enforced by: services.yaml
# Result: Only ingress-nginx namespace can create LoadBalancer services
# Impact: Prevents accidental exposure of internal services to the internet

Scenario 2: Mandate TLS for Public Services

Require TLS configuration on all Ingress resources:

# Enforced by: ingress-tls.yaml
# Result: All Ingress objects must define spec.tls with valid secrets
# Impact: Eliminates plaintext HTTP exposure for external services

Scenario 3: Enforce Namespace Isolation

Require NetworkPolicy in every namespace before pod creation:

# Enforced by: security.yaml
# Result: Namespaces must have NetworkPolicy resources before accepting workloads
# Impact: Prevents pods from communicating across namespace boundaries by default

Implementation

See the full implementation guide in the source documentation.

Techniques

Network Security Patterns

Defense in Depth

Layer network controls across multiple boundaries:

1. Namespace NetworkPolicies - Default deny all traffic
2. Service Restrictions - Limit LoadBalancer/NodePort usage
3. Ingress Controls - Require TLS and approved ingress classes
4. Egress Filtering - Block unauthorized external connections

Zero-Trust Networking

Never assume trust based on network location:

• Require explicit NetworkPolicy allow rules (no implicit trust)
• Mandate mTLS for service-to-service communication (use service mesh if needed)
• Validate identity at every network boundary (authentication, not IP allowlisting)

Production vs Non-Production

Use different enforcement levels based on environment:

• Production - Strict NetworkPolicy requirements, TLS mandatory, LoadBalancer restricted
• Development - Relaxed policies, allow broader access for testing
• Staging - Production-like policies to catch configuration issues early

Examples

See examples.md for code examples.

Related Patterns

• Kyverno Templates Overview
• Kyverno Pod Security
• Kyverno Resource Governance

References

• Source Documentation
• AEL Enforce