Zero Networks has introduced the Kubernetes Access Matrix, a tool that provides a comprehensive real-time visual map of both permitted and denied rules within Kubernetes clusters.
This new capability supports security and DevOps teams in gaining better visibility and control over Kubernetes access, thus mitigating operational risks and potential lateral movement threats.
Understanding Kubernetes Governance
In many IT environments, the responsibility for communication control lies with security and infrastructure teams. However, within Kubernetes’ ecosystem, this task often falls to DevOps teams and developers, leading to governance challenges.
Network policies can be integrated through various channels, such as directly in the cluster or via CI/CD pipelines. This complexity makes it difficult for security teams to ascertain the actual enforcement of these policies and the resulting extent of exposure.
Core Features and Benefits
Kubernetes Access Matrix visualizes policies as a clear matrix of communicationsThe Kubernetes Access Matrix translates intricate Kubernetes Network Policies into a simple, intuitive matrix display, clearly depicting intercommunications across namespaces, applications, and workloads. This transformation makes the policy logic and its outcomes visible to both security and DevOps teams, providing a unified source of truth.
According to Benny Lakunishok, CEO at Zero Networks, “Kubernetes doesn’t fail security teams because it is inherently insecure. It fails because access becomes opaque at scale. When you cannot clearly see who can talk to what, you cannot control blast radius. The Kubernetes Access Matrix makes every connection visible and understandable in seconds, so organizations can reduce risk before an attacker exploits it.”
Addressing Security Gaps
The acceleration of Kubernetes adoption presents a challenge in maintaining secure management practices, as highlighted by reported attack attempts on AKS and EKS clusters within minutes of their creation.
Gartner’s insights point out the concurrent need for advanced skills and DevOps maturity to achieve large-scale operational success in Kubernetes environments.
Proactive Blast Radius Reduction
Kubernetes Access Matrix reveals attacker pathways in real time within a clusterTo address these challenges, the Kubernetes Access Matrix offers real-time insights into potential attacker pathways within a cluster. This visibility can reduce the blast radius by uncovering implicit trust relationships and over-permissive access paths before they are exploited.
This shift allows security practices to transition from a reactive to a proactive stance, ensuring better alignment with rapid threat emergence.
Key Functionalities
Upon initial setup, the Access Matrix auto-discovers existing Kubernetes Network Policies, eliminating the need for manual configurations. It quickly visualizes the traffic flow between namespaces, applications, and workloads. The tool employs color-coded indicators to differentiate levels of access and policy enforcement. Users can delve into specific connections to review the policies, labels, and ports involved in governing those interactions.
Beyond serving as a visualization tool, the Kubernetes Access Matrix establishes a foundation for enforceable security guardrails across clusters. Security teams can set and validate boundaries directly within the matrix, while DevOps teams retain operational agility within these predefined limits. This feature allows for preemptive validation of policy changes, thereby preventing risky access paths from reaching production environments.
The Kubernetes Access Matrix is now available as an integral component of the Zero Networks platform, equipping organizations with the tools needed to enhance security management in rapidly evolving Kubernetes ecosystems.
Zero Networks announced the Kubernetes Access Matrix, a real-time visual map that exposes every allowed and denied rule inside Kubernetes clusters.
The new capability enables security and DevOps teams to see, understand, and control Kubernetes access at scale, closing "understanding what is going on inside K8s” gaps that leave organizations exposed to lateral movement and operational risk.
About Kubernetes
In most IT environments, security and infrastructure teams control what can talk to what. In Kubernetes, that responsibility often shifts to DevOps teams and developers, creating an inherent governance gap. Network policies can be introduced through multiple paths, directly in the cluster or through CI/CD pipelines, making it hard for security teams to understand what is actually enforced and what the resulting blast radius looks like.
As clusters expand, namespaces multiply, and labels proliferate, policies become fragmented and harder to manage. The result is a familiar set of questions: What can talk to what? Where are we unintentionally allowing broad access? What is the real blast radius if something is compromised? If those answers are not clear, control is only assumed, not real.
Features and benefits
The Kubernetes Access Matrix transforms complex Kubernetes Network Policies into a single, intuitive matrix view that shows what can talk to what across namespaces, applications, and workloads.
By translating policy logic into clear visual outcomes, it creates a shared source of truth for both security and DevOps teams.
“Kubernetes doesn’t fail security teams because it is inherently insecure,” said Benny Lakunishok, CEO at Zero Networks. “It fails because access becomes opaque at scale. When you cannot clearly see who can talk to what, you cannot control blast radius. The Kubernetes Access Matrix makes every connection visible and understandable in seconds, so organizations can reduce risk before an attacker exploits it. Built for InfoSec, SecOps, NetOps, and DevSecOps, it bridges the communication gap between groups to turn fragmented oversight into shared accountability.”
Adoption and ability
The result is a widening gap between rapid Kubernetes adoption and the ability to manage it safely, where attackers move in minutes while enterprises are still building operational maturity.
“Bad actors are quick to probe fresh deployments. AKS clusters face their first attack attempt within 18 minutes, while EKS clusters are targeted within 28 minutes of creation,” noted in Wiz’s Kubernetes Security Report: 2025. At the same time, in the report, A CTO’s Guide to Containers and Kubernetes: Top 10 FAQs, (May 2025) Gartner explained, “Kubernetes has become a popular platform for building cloud-native applications, but the key constraints are a lack of adequate skills and mature DevOps practices to operationalize and succeed with large-scale production deployments.”
Reducing blast radius
To close this gap, organizations need visibility that matches the speed of modern threats. The Access Matrix provides a real time understanding of how far an attacker could move once inside a cluster, exposing implicit trust relationships and over-permissive access paths before they are exploited.
Instead of relying solely on detection after compromise, teams can proactively reduce blast radius, protect critical services, and maintain uptime even during a security event. This shifts Kubernetes security from reactive response to proactive resilience, aligning operational maturity with the reality of near-instant attack attempts.
Additional features
Upon onboarding, the Access Matrix automatically discovers existing Kubernetes Network Policies with no manual configuration required. Within minutes, teams can visualize namespace to namespace, application to application, workload to workload, and egress access.
Color coded indicators clearly distinguish full access, partial access, explicit deny, and areas with no defined policy. Users can drill into any connection to view the exact policies, labels, workloads, and ports governing that flow.
More than a visualization tool, the Kubernetes Access Matrix becomes the foundation for enforceable guardrails across clusters. Security teams can define boundaries and validate them directly in the matrix, while DevOps teams maintain flexibility within approved limits. Policy changes can be validated before deployment, preventing risky access paths from reaching production.
Availability
The Kubernetes Access Matrix is available immediately as part of the Zero Networks platform.
