Chapter 3: Keep It Safe, Stupid, and Secure Your Cluster!
At this point, you may be saying to yourself, Wow, two chapters and I'm done. Well, sorry to break it to you, but you are currently very much exposed. Yes, we've built a basic Consul cluster, consisting of three servers and four clients, but there is no security around that system. Essentially, we've built a glass house with no doors, so anybody can walk in, and anybody can see what's going on inside. Kind of creepy, isn't it?
To understand how we're going to protect our system, and more importantly our services, let's take a look at all of the areas where we are exposed:
- System communication – We have seen how all the Consul components communicate freely with each other. Anybody can join that cluster without verification, and anybody can listen in.
- Who can do what – Even if you are verified and authenticated within the cluster, we need to make sure that the scope...