CloudPassage Announces Docker Container Application Security Tools

In a sign of Docker‘s increasing maturity, as well as the importance of value-added tools for the open source containerized virtualization platform, CloudPassage has announced new security tools for Docker applications.

CloudPassage provides tools to monitor application security and enforce security policies. Now, the company’s platform will include security-vulnerability assessment, file-integrity monitoring, log-based intrusion detection, access control and firewall micro-segmentation for Docker as well.

Environments such as Docker “demand a new approach to security, one that protects at a deeper level than just the perimeter,” said CloudPassage CEO Carson Sweet. The company says it is meeting that challenge by extending CloudPassage’s security functionality into the containerized realm, which squares the flexibility provided by abstracting applications into containers with the need to ensure comprehensive security across IT infrastructure.

While Docker itself provides some basic security tools, CloudPassage’s decision to offer enhanced security features is notable for a couple of reasons. First, it’s an example of the opportunities that are arising for vendors to build solutions that add value to Docker as the container-based virtualization platform matures.

At the same time, it’s also worth observing that Docker, so far, has taken a relatively unilateral approach to developing its containerization platform, opting in most cases to build as many components as possible itself rather than collaborating with third parties. But since it’s unlikely that Docker developers will be able to go so far as to provide the advanced security features offered by CloudPassage, this could be one place where Docker finds that it can’t do everything itself.