Microservice architectures are central to modern cloud computing and have become the dominant design pattern for scalable, distributed applications. Kubernetes is often the tool used for rapid deployment and orchestration of microservices. A known issue for large networks clusters is a malicious actor can compromise a vulnerable cluster in minutes. Their ability to quickly compromise vulnerable clusters highlights the urgent need for stronger security. This project views cluster defense through a preemptive security lens, introducing the Cluster Life cycle Management System (CLMS). Inspired by the biological process of apoptosis, CLMS systematically replaces aging containers and services to prevent exploitation of a Kubernetes environment before it begins. CLMS addresses both performance degradation and evolving cybersecurity threats, to set a higher standard for secure, highly available Kubernetes environments. My thesis research states that restarting containers in a microservice environment can reduce the opportunity for lateral movement by attackers, increasing the overall security of the system.
","abstract_html":"<p>Microservice architectures are central to modern cloud computing and have become the dominant design pattern for scalable, distributed applications. Kubernetes is often the tool used for rapid deployment and orchestration of microservices. A known issue for large networks clusters is a malicious actor can compromise a vulnerable cluster in minutes. Their ability to quickly compromise vulnerable clusters highlights the urgent need for stronger security. This project views cluster defense through a preemptive security lens, introducing the Cluster Life cycle Management System (CLMS). Inspired by the biological process of apoptosis, CLMS systematically replaces aging containers and services to prevent exploitation of a Kubernetes environment before it begins. CLMS addresses both performance degradation and evolving cybersecurity threats, to set a higher standard for secure, highly available Kubernetes environments. My thesis research states that restarting containers in a microservice environment can reduce the opportunity for lateral movement by attackers, increasing the overall security of the system.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Moomaw, Alexander Hunter"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS) in Professional Cybersecurity","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Computer Science and Electrical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:13:16Z","subjects":["Cybersecurity","Other Computer Sciences","Systems Architecture"],"languages":[],"rights":["Access is available to all users"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/987","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Moomaw, Alexander Hunter"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Computer Science and Electrical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS) in Professional Cybersecurity"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Cybersecurity","Other Computer Sciences","Systems Architecture"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Access is available to all users"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/987"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Microservice architectures are central to modern cloud computing and have become the dominant design pattern for scalable, distributed applications. Kubernetes is often the tool used for rapid deployment and orchestration of microservices. A known issue for large networks clusters is a malicious actor can compromise a vulnerable cluster in minutes. Their ability to quickly compromise vulnerable clusters highlights the urgent need for stronger security. This project views cluster defense through a preemptive security lens, introducing the Cluster Life cycle Management System (CLMS). Inspired by the biological process of apoptosis, CLMS systematically replaces aging containers and services to prevent exploitation of a Kubernetes environment before it begins. CLMS addresses both performance degradation and evolving cybersecurity threats, to set a higher standard for secure, highly available Kubernetes environments. My thesis research states that restarting containers in a microservice environment can reduce the opportunity for lateral movement by attackers, increasing the overall security of the system.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Death by design: a biological approach to container security"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Moomaw, Alexander Hunter"],"dc:description.abstract":["Microservice architectures are central to modern cloud computing and have become the dominant design pattern for scalable, distributed applications. Kubernetes is often the tool used for rapid deployment and orchestration of microservices. A known issue for large networks clusters is a malicious actor can compromise a vulnerable cluster in minutes. Their ability to quickly compromise vulnerable clusters highlights the urgent need for stronger security. This project views cluster defense through a preemptive security lens, introducing the Cluster Life cycle Management System (CLMS). Inspired by the biological process of apoptosis, CLMS systematically replaces aging containers and services to prevent exploitation of a Kubernetes environment before it begins. CLMS addresses both performance degradation and evolving cybersecurity threats, to set a higher standard for secure, highly available Kubernetes environments. My thesis research states that restarting containers in a microservice environment can reduce the opportunity for lateral movement by attackers, increasing the overall security of the system.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/987"],"dc:rights":["Access is available to all users"],"dc:subject":["Cybersecurity","Other Computer Sciences","Systems Architecture"],"dc:title":["Death by design: a biological approach to container security"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Computer Science and Electrical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS) in Professional Cybersecurity"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:13:16Z"}