OWASP Container Security Verification Standard (CSVS)

What is CSVS?

The Container Security Verification Standard (CSVS) is a community-effort to establish a framework of security requirements and controls that focus on normalizing the functional and non-functional security controls required when designing, developing and testing container-based solutions with a focus on Docker.

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Source Code (GitHub)

Use Cases

As Detailed Security Architecture Guidance
One of the more common uses for the Container Security Verification Standard is as a resource for security architects. The two major security architecture frameworks, SABSA and TOGAF, are missing a great deal of information that is necessary to complete application and container security architecture review. CSVS can be used to fill in those gaps by allowing security architects to choose better controls for common problems.
As a Replacement for Off-the-shelf Checklists
Many organizations can benefit from adopting the CSVS, by choosing one of the three levels, or by forking CSVS and changing what is required for each risk level in a domain specific way. We encourage this type of forking as long as traceability is maintained.
For Security Trainings
The CSVS can also be used to define characteristics of secure container infrastructure. Many security courses are simply ethical hacking courses with a light smear of operational tips. Security trainings can use the CSVS with its strong focus on the proactive controls to tech about best practices.

FAQ

The document looks similar to the OWASP Application Security Verification Standard. How is it related?
We love the work done by the OWASP ASVS project team and indeed the overall structure and e.g. the scripts to export the CSVS to different formats is coming from the ASVS.
Topic XYZ is missing. Why?
Either it didn't cross our minds yet or we thought it is already covered in one of the requirements in the CSVS. Anyway, please let us know by opening an issue or even fork the CSVS and send us a pull request with your proposed changes.
There are already other documents that cover container security like the CIS Docker Benchmark or NIST Application Container Security Guide. Why do we need the CSVS?
Existing documents often contain more than 100 pages or are using a lot of running text. We think there should be a clear standard that allows you to go through and actually verify your level of security related to container solutions.
Is there any referencing from the CSVS to other standards and vice-versa?
Unfortunately not yet, but we made sure to cover at least the CIS Docker Benchmark and NIST Application Container Security Guide.