AI Cyber Defense / Cloud, Kubernetes and software supply chain
AI Cyber Defense: Protect artifact integrity between build and runtime
Promote immutable artifacts through release stages and verify integrity at deployment using supported tooling. Keep the approval bound to the exact artifact and target environment.
Environment and inputs: Cloud control planes, workload identity, Kubernetes clusters, CI/CD pipelines and immutable deployment artifacts; provider support varies.
Scenario and goal
A scanned image can be replaced or retagged before deployment if the release references only a mutable label.
Why it matters
For this scenario, an attacker can automate permitted API operations after gaining a workload or pipeline identity. Review who can change trust, who can assume the resulting identity and what resources it can reach. Keep source review, build provenance, deployment authorization and runtime permissions as distinct checks. A configuration object or successful deployment does not prove the intended runtime boundary is enforced.
Evidence to collect
Record artifact digest, source revision, build identity, verification result and deployed runtime digest.
Validate with an authorized exercise
Deploy a harmless approved digest to staging, then present a changed digest under the same tag; confirm the unapproved artifact is denied or requires a new review.
Rollout and checks
Evaluate effective permissions and runtime behavior in a disposable account or namespace before production rollout. Retain the approved source revision, resulting artifact and independent audit trail. Plan recovery if identity, policy or admission dependencies fail. Reconcile running assets after the change because resources created outside the normal pipeline can otherwise remain outside its checks.
Scope and limits
This guide proposes a defensive test; it is not a tested production design. Check platform support and local requirements. References explain the mechanisms but do not certify the design. Behavior alone does not prove AI involvement.