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Kubernetes System Hardening

This course will teach you how to harden Kubernetes at the system level by securing the control plane, worker nodes, and RBAC using CIS Benchmark–aligned best practices.

Intermediate
1h 4m

Created by Patrick Rusch

Last Updated Mar 04, 2026

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  • Course

Kubernetes System Hardening

This course will teach you how to harden Kubernetes at the system level by securing the control plane, worker nodes, and RBAC using CIS Benchmark–aligned best practices.

Intermediate
1h 4m

Created by Patrick Rusch

Last Updated Mar 04, 2026

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What you'll learn

Kubernetes clusters often run with insecure defaults, leaving control plane components, worker nodes, and access controls exposed to potential compromise. In this course, Kubernetes System Hardening, you’ll gain the ability to secure clusters at the system level following CIS Benchmark–aligned best practices. First, you’ll explore how to harden control plane components and protect critical configuration files and credentials. Next, you’ll discover strategies to fortify worker nodes, secure the Kubelet, and restrict node-level access. Finally, you’ll learn how to implement least-privilege RBAC and manage Service Account permissions safely. When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge of Kubernetes system hardening needed to operate clusters securely and confidently in production environments.

Kubernetes System Hardening
Intermediate
1h 4m
Table of contents

About the author
Patrick Rusch - Pluralsight course - Kubernetes System Hardening
Patrick Rusch
11 courses 4.0 author rating 10 ratings

Senior Consultant and IT Instructor with focus on automating on-premise and public cloud environments, as well as Kubernetes clusters.

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