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Frequently Asked Questions

This page answers common questions about ZeroTrustKerberosLink, with a focus on security considerations and implementation details.

General Questions

ZeroTrustKerberosLink is a secure bridge between enterprise Kerberos authentication and AWS services, built on Zero Trust principles. It allows organizations to leverage their existing Kerberos infrastructure for secure access to AWS resources.

ZeroTrustKerberosLink authenticates users via Kerberos, evaluates their security context using Zero Trust principles, and then maps them to appropriate AWS IAM roles to obtain temporary AWS credentials. This process maintains security throughout and provides a seamless experience for users.

  • Enhanced Security: Implements Zero Trust principles and comprehensive security hardening
  • Simplified Access: Users authenticate once with Kerberos and gain access to AWS resources
  • Reduced Complexity: No need to manage separate AWS credentials for each user
  • Compliance Support: Helps meet regulatory requirements with detailed audit logging
  • Flexible Deployment: Supports various deployment models including high availability

Security Questions

Zero Trust Implementation

ZeroTrustKerberosLink implements Zero Trust through:

  • Continuous verification of user identity via Kerberos
  • Context-based access decisions (time, location, device)
  • Least privilege access through fine-grained role mappings
  • Comprehensive monitoring and audit logging
  • Secure communication with TLS encryption

What security hardening features are included?

ZeroTrustKerberosLink includes several security hardening features:

  1. Input Validation: Comprehensive validation for all user inputs with protection against XSS, injection attacks, and path traversal
  2. Security Headers: Implementation of Content Security Policy (CSP), X-XSS-Protection, X-Content-Type-Options, and other security headers
  3. Secure Redis Communication: TLS support for Redis connections with secure credential handling
  4. Security Testing Framework: Structured approach to security testing with vulnerability types, severity levels, and remediation guidance

Yes, ZeroTrustKerberosLink has undergone comprehensive security testing, including:

  • Static code analysis
  • Dynamic application security testing
  • Penetration testing by third-party security experts
  • Regular vulnerability scanning

We also provide a security testing framework that allows organizations to conduct their own security testing.

ZeroTrustKerberosLink implements secure secrets management:

  • Kerberos keytab files are stored with restricted permissions
  • AWS credentials are never stored on disk in plaintext
  • Redis credentials are securely managed with TLS encryption
  • All sensitive configuration is stored in a secure manner with appropriate access controls

Implementation Questions

  • Operating System: Linux-based (Ubuntu 20.04+ or RHEL/CentOS 8+)
  • Runtime: Docker 20.10+ or Kubernetes 1.19+
  • Dependencies: Python 3.8+, Redis 6+
  • Network: Outbound access to AWS services, connectivity to Kerberos KDC

ZeroTrustKerberosLink supports high availability deployments through:

  1. Multiple instances behind a load balancer
  2. Redis cluster with replication for session storage
  3. Stateless design for horizontal scaling
  4. Automatic failover capabilities

See our High Availability Guide for detailed implementation instructions.

How do I configure role mappings?

Role mappings define which Kerberos principals can assume which AWS IAM roles. They can be configured in the config.yaml file:

aws:
  role_mappings:
    - kerberos_principal: "admin@EXAMPLE.COM"
      aws_role: "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/AdminRole"
      conditions:
        ip_ranges: ["10.0.0.0/8"]
        time_window: ["08:00-18:00"]
    - kerberos_principal: "developer@EXAMPLE.COM"
      aws_role: "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/DeveloperRole"

For more complex scenarios, see our Custom Policies Guide.

ZeroTrustKerberosLink provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities:

  • Prometheus metrics for performance and usage
  • Health check endpoints for availability monitoring
  • Detailed logging for security events
  • Integration with common monitoring tools

See our Monitoring Guide for detailed implementation instructions.

Compliance Questions

Yes, ZeroTrustKerberosLink helps organizations meet various compliance requirements:

SOC 2 PCI DSS HIPAA GDPR

Our Compliance Verification Guide provides detailed information on how to verify and document compliance with these frameworks.

ZeroTrustKerberosLink provides comprehensive audit logging:

  • Authentication events (success/failure)
  • Authorization decisions
  • Role assumption events
  • Administrative actions
  • System events

Logs can be forwarded to centralized logging systems for retention and analysis. See our Audit Logging Guide for details.

Troubleshooting Questions

What should I do if authentication fails?

If authentication fails, check the following:

  1. Verify that the Kerberos keytab file is correctly configured
  2. Check that the service principal in the configuration matches the keytab
  3. Ensure the user has a valid Kerberos ticket (klist command)
  4. Check for time synchronization issues between the client, KDC, and ZeroTrustKerberosLink
  5. Review logs for specific error messages

See our Troubleshooting Guide for more detailed steps.

How do I resolve AWS role assumption failures?

If AWS role assumption fails, check the following:

  1. Verify that the IAM role exists and has the correct trust policy
  2. Check that the role mapping in the configuration is correct
  3. Ensure that the ZeroTrustKerberosLink service has permission to assume the role
  4. Review any condition requirements (IP ranges, time windows, etc.)
  5. Check AWS CloudTrail logs for specific error messages

Where can I get additional help?

If you need assistance beyond what's covered in the documentation: