Container Security Reinvented: Our Path to Hardened Containers

Read full article here: https://corsha.com/blog/our-journey-to-hardened-containers/?source=nhimg

At Corsha, security isn’t an afterthought, it’s built into everything we do. A cornerstone of that commitment is ensuring our containerized software meets the strictest security standards. That’s why Iron Bank, the U.S. Department of Defense’s repository of security-hardened containers, plays a central role in our DevSecOps pipeline.

What is Iron Bank?

Iron Bank is a DoD-managed registry of containers hardened to rigorous security and compliance requirements. Part of the Platform One initiative, it provides a trusted foundation for critical environments where reliability and compliance are non-negotiable. Each container undergoes stringent scanning and accreditation, ensuring they meet DoD standards and minimize vulnerabilities.

Why Corsha Relies on Iron Bank

• Enhanced Security & Compliance - Iron Bank containers give us confidence that our base images are thoroughly vetted and aligned with standards like NIST 800-53 and DoD Impact Level 5, streamlining Authority to Operate approvals.

• Efficiency in DevSecOps - Pre-approved images reduce friction in our CI/CD workflows, accelerating delivery without compromising on assurance.

• Open Collaboration - Corsha actively contributes to the ecosystem, including maintaining the InfluxDB Iron Bank image, advancing both community security and innovation.

How We Use It

At Corsha, Iron Bank images form the baseline of our container workflows. On top of that, we integrate Trivy scans throughout the pipeline to detect emerging vulnerabilities post-build. To maximize performance and cost efficiency, we mirror Iron Bank images through JFrog Artifactory into Google Artifact Registry (GAR), ensuring low-latency access in our Google Kubernetes Engine environments.

Alternatives and Innovation

While Iron Bank is a gold standard, other solutions like Chainguard’s low-to-zero CVE images provide complementary approaches. Chainguard even publishes developer-tier images directly into Iron Bank, reinforcing the platform as a central hub for hardened container adoption.

Conclusion

Iron Bank has become a critical enabler of Corsha’s secure software supply chain, helping us maintain compliance, reduce risk, and focus developer energy on building innovative applications. By pairing Iron Bank’s hardened containers with our layered security practices, we’re advancing toward a stronger, more resilient future for containerized workloads.