Getting Started with Cilium

Cilium is an open source software for transparently securing the network connectivity between application services deployed using Linux container management platforms like Docker and Kubernetes.

At the foundation of Cilium is a new Linux kernel technology called eBPF, which enables the dynamic insertion of powerful security visibility and control logic within Linux itself.

Because eBPF runs inside the Linux kernel, Cilium security policies can be applied and updated without any changes to the application code or container configuration.

In this interactive, hands-on lab we provide you a fully fledged Cilium installation on a small cluster and a few challenges to solve. See for yourself how Cilium works and how it can help you by securing a moon-sized battlestation in a “Star Wars”-inspired challenge.

DifficultyBeginner
VersionOpen Source
TopicsNetworking
ProjectCilium

Main steps in the lab

01Install Cilium

Explore the lab's environment and install Cilium on the cluster

02Deploy a demo app

Install the empire demo application to learn how to use policies. Check if you can land your ships on the Deathstar!

03Deploy L3/L4 Network Policy

Add the first policy and see if your ships can land now!

04Apply and Test HTTP-aware L7 Policy

Learn how to extend the policy to layer 7, enabling filtering based on certain API endpoints.