As we have discussed in the past, protecting the security and integrity of containers is no minor task to achieve. Platforms like Kubernetes prompt the use of a variety of security features to realize comprehensive protection, which is why the environment needs to be configured correctly. That configuration includes layers of security measures to make sure that pods and containers are secured properly.
Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to protect your containers and many solutions to make completing that task easier. Since containers have a larger attack surface by default, the key security concerns that need to be addressed are larger too. Among the many available offerings out there that you can use to secure containers are Twistlock and Threat Stack. How do these two solutions compare? Let’s find out.
The Approach
Twistlock and Threat Stack use slightly different approaches when it comes to securing a cloud environment. Threat Stack is built from the ground up as a cloud-native solution, making it easy to deploy and integrate with a wide range of platforms. Twistlock, on the other hand—while also being cloud-native—focuses more on the workflows surrounding the use of cloud environments, which is why it can be used to automate security in a CI/CD pipeline.
The two are made for the same purpose: To maintain the security of containers in a more complex cloud environment. However, different approaches clearly show how Threat Stack and Twistlock are focusing on different areas of the environment to achieve that common objective. Using Twistlock is ideal for flawless integration with a continuous development pipeline. Threat Stack, on the other hand, immediately focuses on the cloud or hybrid infrastructure.
Threat Stack
Both security suites offer a wide range of tools designed to make securing containers easy. However, the difference in approach means you will see a different set of tools being given more emphasis as you use these solutions. Threat Stack relies heavily on monitoring and alerting tools to make sure that administrators (and developers) are always on top of potential security issues.
When combined with DevOps, Threat Stack cloud security platform makes maintaining security in an agile development environment possible. The security suite automatically observes the entire stack, starting from containers and hosts to infrastructure control planes. In fact, Threat Stack can automate monitoring of new containers and the container orchestration process.
Inputs from these data points are then processed by the cloud security platform. Alerts and warnings are issued immediately, with new technologies such as artificial intelligence making the process a lot more accurate and dependable. Threat Stack can be used alongside the orchestration platforms and other tools too.
The extensive monitoring and security review tools provided by Threat Stack gives you a completely different perspective when it comes to maintaining cloud security. You no longer have to struggle with identifying potential threats—and finding ways to mitigate those threats—because Threat Stack will handle this type of detection (and many others) for you.
Twistlock
Twistlock, on the other hand, adopts an almost DevSecOps stance from the beginning. This approach is quickly becoming the future of agile development, where security and development teams work hand in hand to make sure that every iteration is safe and doesn’t pose additional risks to the environment it is deployed in. Many development teams will find Twistlock’s native integration with DevOps to be particularly appealing.
Before we get to that integration, however, we have to appreciate the comprehensive monitoring and protection features offered by Twistlock. Twistlock takes container security to a whole new level with its support for VMs, service meshes, and combinations of them. You can have a totally complex cloud environment and still be able to manage its security—and I do mean all of its security needs—from a single platform.
Twistlock also supports policies and requirements, which is why it is so easy to integrate with DevOps workflow. You only need to define the security policies once, and Twistlock will review every iteration in great detail. This is a great way to automate security in a rapid development cycle. With Twistlock in place, you no longer have to see security as a bottleneck that stops the latest feature from being deployed quickly.
The recent integration of AI makes Twistlock that much more powerful. Real-time log analysis allows warnings and alerts to be issued faster. You also get constant insights; you basically have better visibility over your entire cloud environment. Using Twistlock, you also have the option to be more meticulous with access control, effectively reducing the attack surface of your cloud environment in the process.
So, which of these two security suites are the best? Choosing between Twistlock and Threat Stack is not easy. Both are capable tools with features that make cloud security a breeze. Both are designed to be the container security tools that are suitable for modern containerized environments. The choice potentially comes down to what matches your workflow better because you cannot go wrong with either Twistlock and Threat Stack.
As Twistlock partners, please contact the team at Caylent if you have any more questions about using the cloud-native solution. We can directly support you through the instrumentation and integration process.
Caylent provides a critical DevOps-as-a-Service function to high growth companies looking for expert support with Kubernetes, cloud security, cloud infrastructure, and CI/CD pipelines. Our managed and consulting services are a more cost-effective option than hiring in-house, and we scale as your team and company grow. Check out some of the use cases, learn how we work with clients, and read more about our DevOps-as-a-Service offering.
