Container Resource Limits and Denial of Service Prevention

Container Resource Limits and Denial of Service Prevention

Resource limits prevent containers from consuming excessive CPU, memory, or disk space. Without limits, compromised containers can denial-of-service entire hosts. Memory limits prevent out-of-memory conditions. CPU limits ensure fair resource sharing. Disk quotas prevent storage exhaustion. Proper limit configuration requires understanding application resource patterns.

Resource monitoring helps identify appropriate limits and detect anomalies. Prometheus and similar tools collect resource metrics from containers. Historical analysis reveals normal usage patterns. Alerting on unusual resource consumption indicates potential attacks or misconfigurations. Regular limit reviews ensure they remain appropriate as applications evolve.

Runtime security requires comprehensive controls throughout the container lifecycle. Linux security modules, capability restrictions, system call filtering, and network policies create defense in depth. Combined with monitoring and proper configuration, these controls contain attacks and limit damage from compromises. The next chapter explores secrets management for protecting sensitive data in containerized environments.## Docker Secrets Management Best Practices

Secrets management represents one of the most challenging aspects of container security. Applications require access to passwords, API keys, certificates, and other sensitive data, but traditional secret storage methods fail in dynamic container environments. This chapter provides comprehensive guidance on implementing secure secrets management for Docker containers, covering built-in Docker secrets, integration with external secret stores, and best practices for handling sensitive data throughout the container lifecycle.