It’s almost time for KubeCon North America, and we’re excited to share the latest updates in Calico. These updates improve network and runtime security, make it easier to use, and extend Calico’s strong network security and observability for Kubernetes to VMs and hosts that are not part of Kubernetes clusters.

Kubernetes has become a cornerstone in modern IT environments, significantly revolutionizing the way applications are deployed and managed. Its ability to automate scaling, deployment, and management of containerized applications makes it indispensable for businesses aiming for agility, scalability, and efficiency. As organizations increasingly adopt microservices architectures, Kubernetes’ role in providing seamless orchestration and robust security continues to grow in importance.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a global standard designed to ensure the security of cardholder information. It is crucial for any organization that stores, processes, or transmits payment card data to comply with PCI DSS to protect the integrity and confidentiality of cardholder information.

In today’s fast-paced cloud-native world, scaling security alongside rapid development cycles presents significant challenges. As organizations increasingly adopt Kubernetes, ensuring consistent, fine-grained security across dynamic workloads becomes essential. Calico’s policy model for microsegmentation offers a scalable solution that integrates seamlessly into DevSecOps workflows, enabling teams to implement robust security controls without compromising agility.

As Kubernetes and containerized environments become the backbone of modern application development, securing these environments grows increasingly complex. The distributed nature of microservices, the dynamic scaling of workloads and the ephemeral nature of containers introduce unique security challenges. Traditional approaches to risk assessment — where vulnerabilities, misconfigurations and threats are identified and prioritized in isolation — often fall short in such environments.