More and more organizations and technologies are using eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… for security. eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is the new standard to program Linux kernel capabilities in a safe and efficient manner without requiring to change kernel source code or loading kernel modules. It has enabled a new generation of high performance tooling to be developed covering networking, security, and observability use cases.
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… is a core and increasingly ubiquitous technology for networking, observability, and security.
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… has been evolving in Linux kernels for a decade, it has matured as *the* way to secure workloads running on both Linux and also Windows– and it’s the increasing use cases and scope that is revolutionizing security across the cloud and the internet.
When security and development pros use eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… for security, they are doing so to answer these questions:
What happens after a project or product has been delivered?
How do we create an secure environment of continual improvement?
How do we make sure that our secure deployment or application stays secure?
How to we identify vulnerabilities and spot potential anomalies?
In this article we’ll explore how eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… has grown in popularity among observability and security circles in recent years, and what the future looks like.
A brief history of eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec…
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… was originally developed as a way to filter network packets in the Linux kernel. eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… has matured into a powerful tool for tracing and analysing system activity — but it is not just a packet filter anymore.
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… is a technology that allows running sandboxed programs in the kernel, extending its capabilities without changing its source code or loading kernel modules.
Brendan Gregg, a computer scientist at Intel said:
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… is superpowers for Linux
Where did eBPF come from?
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… evolved from the classic Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF), which was introduced in 1993 as a way of filtering network packets in the kernel.
In the beginning, the original BPF had a limited instruction set and only two 32-bit registers.
But since 2014, Alexei Starovoitov and Daniel Borkmann proposed an extended version of BPF (eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec…), which added ten 64-bit registers, new instructions, a call instruction, and a register passing convention, and a different encoding for the instructions.
They also added an in-kernel verifier that checks the safety and validity of the programs before loading them into the kernel. The verifier ensures that the programs do not crash, hang, or interfere with the kernel negatively. The programs can also be either interpreted or JIT compiled for native execution performance.
How has eBPF evolved?
in the past decade, eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… has been enhanced with many additional features:
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… has also attracted a large community of contributors and users from various domains and industries.
Linus Torvalds, the Linux OG, said of BPF (exchangeable with eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec…):
BPF has actually been really useful, and the real power of it is how it allows people to do specialized code that isn’t enabled until asked for. Things like tracing and statistics (and obviously network filters) are prime examples of things where people want to do
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… is now used extensively not just in technology but to drive a wide variety of use cases in areas such as Managed Security Operations:
High-performance networking and load-balancing in modern data centres and cloud native environments.
Extracting fine-grained security observability data at low overhead.
The possibilities are endless, and the innovation that eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… is unlocking has only just begun. The image below is a high-level architectural overview of the current state of eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec…:
How is eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… used in security?
As alluded to in the previous paragraph, eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… can be used for a wide range of tasks, from profiling system performance to detecting security threats.
eBPF’s ability to trace system activity in real-time has made it particularly useful in the field of security where it can be used to identify unusual behaviour and potential attacks.
There are two major technology areas where eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… is used for security: applications and infrastructure.
Check out the official eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… website at https://ebpf.io/infrastructure/ and https://ebpf.io/applcations discover how eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… is being applied to infrastructure and applications.
The future of eBPF
While eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… has evolved over the past decade, it is revolutionizing security.
eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… will be deployed in more security use cases, applications and infrastructure in the coming years. It will be considered as an essential skill for any security technologist.
As threats become more sophisticated and attacks become more frequent, tools like eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… will be essential for detecting and mitigating potential risks.
Overall, eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… represents an exciting development in the field of security, and one that is likely to have a significant impact in the years to come.
Conclusion
Once workloads are deployed they must be continuously secured. This is where eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… shines.
Originally developed as a way to filter network packets in the Linux kernel, eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… has evolved into a powerful tool for tracing and analysing system activity.
Its lightweight and highly customizable protocol makes it an attractive option for developers and security professionals alike.
As threats become more sophisticated, tools like eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… will be essential for detecting and mitigating potential risks. The future of eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… is promising, as new threats emerge presenting new use cases, as well as improvements in performance and functionality.
Overall, eBPFeBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a Linux kernel tec… represents an exciting development in the field of security, and one that is likely to have a significant impact in the years to come. Its ability to trace system activity in real-time has made it particularly useful in the field of security, where it can be used to identify unusual behaviour and potential attacks.