Confidentiality and Integrity Mechanisms for Microservices Communication

The microservices architecture tries to deal with the challenges posed by distributed systems, such as scalability, availability, and system deployment; by means of highly cohesive, heterogeneous, and independent microservices. However, this architecture also brings new security challenges related to communication, system design, development, and operation. The literature contains spread information regarding security related solutions for microservicesbased systems, but this spread makes difficult for practitioners to adopt novel security related solutions. In this study, we aim to present a catalogue of security solutions based on algorithms, protocols, standards, or implementations; supporting principles or characteristics of information security, also considering the three possible states of data, according to the McCumber Cube. Our research follows a Systematic Literature Review, synthesizing the results with a meta-aggregation process. We identified a total of 30 primary studies, yielding 71 security solutions for the communication of microservices.

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Information and Communication Security Mechanisms For Microservices-based Systems

International Journal of Network Security & Its Applications ◽

10.5121/ijnsa.2021.13607 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 85-103

Author(s):

Lenin Leines-Vite ◽

Juan Carlos Pérez-Arriaga ◽

Xavier Limón

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Communication Security ◽

Aggregation Process ◽

Design Development ◽

Security Breaches ◽

Security Challenges ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Communication System Design ◽

Microservice Architecture ◽

Software Services

Security has become paramount in modern software services as more and more security breaches emerge, impacting final users and organizations alike. Trends like the Microservice Architecture bring new security challenges related to communication, system design, development, and operation. The literature presents a plethora of security-related solutions for microservices-based systems, but the spread of information difficult practitioners' adoption of novel security related solutions. In this study, we aim to present a catalogue and discussion of security solutions based on algorithms, protocols, standards, or implementations; supporting principles or characteristics of information security, considering the three possible states of data, according to the McCumber Cube. Our research follows a Systematic Literature Review, synthesizing the results with a meta-aggregation process. We identified a total of 30 primary studies, yielding 75 security solutions for the communication of microservices.

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