Every Kubernetes deployment starts with good intentions, but the path to production is littered with configuration landmines that can destroy performance, compromise security, and create operational nightmares. This talk exposes the most common—and costly—mistakes that even experienced teams make when working with Kubernetes. What You'll Learn Through real-world case studies and live demonstrations, we'll explore: Security Disasters Every Kubernetes deployment starts with good intentions, but the path to production is littered with configuration landmines that can destroy performance, compromise security, and create operational nightmares. This talk exposes the most common—and costly—mistakes that even experienced teams make when working with Kubernetes. What You'll Learn Through real-world case studies and live demonstrations, we'll explore: Security Disasters

Why default RBAC configurations are a security nightmare waiting to happen The hidden dangers of running containers as root and how privilege escalation attacks unfold Container image vulnerabilities that slip through CI/CD pipelines Network policy misconfigurations that create unintended attack vectors

Configuration Catastrophes

Resource limits and requests: the difference between "it works on my machine" and production stability How improper health checks can cascade into cluster-wide failures Storage configuration mistakes that lead to data loss The subtle namespace and labeling errors that break everything

Observability Blind Spots

Why basic CPU/memory metrics aren't enough for Kubernetes troubleshooting Missing runtime security monitoring that could have prevented breaches Log aggregation anti-patterns that hide critical failure signals How to detect anomalous behavior before it impacts users

Scaling and Performance Traps

HPA configurations that create resource thrashing instead of smooth scaling Node scheduling mistakes that lead to resource waste and outages Network bottlenecks that aren't obvious until it's too late

Beyond the Problems: Practical Solutions This isn't just a catalog of disasters—you'll walk away with:

Actionable checklists for security hardening Tool recommendations for continuous monitoring and assessment Automation strategies to prevent configuration drift Proven patterns for reliable observability

Every Kubernetes deployment starts with good intentions, but the path to production is littered with configuration landmines that can destroy performance, compromise security, and create operational nightmares. This talk exposes the most common—and costly—mistakes that even experienced teams make when working with Kubernetes. What You'll Learn Through real-world case studies and live demonstrations, we'll explore: Security Disasters

Why default RBAC configurations are a security nightmare waiting to happen The hidden dangers of running containers as root and how privilege escalation attacks unfold Container image vulnerabilities that slip through CI/CD pipelines Network policy misconfigurations that create unintended attack vectors

Configuration Catastrophes

Resource limits and requests: the difference between "it works on my machine" and production stability How improper health checks can cascade into cluster-wide failures Storage configuration mistakes that lead to data loss The subtle namespace and labeling errors that break everything

Observability Blind Spots

Why basic CPU/memory metrics aren't enough for Kubernetes troubleshooting Missing runtime security monitoring that could have prevented breaches Log aggregation anti-patterns that hide critical failure signals How to detect anomalous behavior before it impacts users

Scaling and Performance Traps

HPA configurations that create resource thrashing instead of smooth scaling Node scheduling mistakes that lead to resource waste and outages Network bottlenecks that aren't obvious until it's too late

Beyond the Problems: Practical Solutions This isn't just a catalog of disasters—you'll walk away with:

Actionable checklists for security hardening Tool recommendations for continuous monitoring and assessment Automation strategies to prevent configuration drift Proven patterns for reliable observability

Whether you're just starting your Kubernetes journey or managing enterprise clusters, this session will help you identify potential issues before they become production incidents. We'll cover everything from CIS Benchmark compliance to modern runtime security approaches, ensuring your clusters are both performant and secure.