CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
The CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) publishes security guidance for cloud‑native ecosystems, including the CNCF Cloud Native Security Whitepaper (v2, 2022), the Software Supply Chain Best Practices guide, and the CNCF Security Assessment process. These resources are best‑practice documents rather than a formal framework with defined domains or controls.
Framework summaries on this platform are AI-assisted interpretations for educational and compliance planning purposes. They do not reproduce or replace the official standards. Refer to the authoritative source for the definitive text. Framework names and trademarks belong to their respective organisations.
Framework Domains (17)
Cloud
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.4C.CLOUD | Cloud Layer Security (4Cs) |
Cluster
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.4C.CLUSTER | Cluster Layer Security (4Cs) |
Code
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.4C.CODE | Code Layer Security (4Cs) |
Compliance
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.COMPLIANCE.AUTOMATION | Compliance Automation |
Container
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.4C.CONTAINER | Container Layer Security (4Cs) |
Cryptography
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.SECRETS.MGMT | Secrets Management |
Deploy
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.LC.DEPLOY.ADMISSION | Lifecycle Deploy: Admission Control |
| CNCF.LC.DEPLOY.IAC | Lifecycle Deploy: IaC Security |
| CNCF.LC.DEPLOY.SECRETS | Lifecycle Deploy: Secrets and Configuration |
| DEP-1 | Pre-Deployment Validation |
| DEP-2 | Infrastructure as Code Security |
| DEP-3 | Admission Control |
| DEP-4 | Host Suitability Validation |
Deploy
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.LC.DEPLOY.ADMISSION | Lifecycle Deploy: Admission Control |
| CNCF.LC.DEPLOY.IAC | Lifecycle Deploy: IaC Security |
| CNCF.LC.DEPLOY.SECRETS | Lifecycle Deploy: Secrets and Configuration |
| DEP-1 | Pre-Deployment Validation |
| DEP-2 | Infrastructure as Code Security |
| DEP-3 | Admission Control |
| DEP-4 | Host Suitability Validation |
Develop
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.LC.DEV.SECURECODE | Lifecycle Develop: Secure Coding |
| CNCF.LC.DEV.TESTING | Lifecycle Develop: Security Testing |
| CNCF.LC.DEV.THREATMODEL | Lifecycle Develop: Threat Modeling |
| DEV-1 | Security Checks in Development |
| DEV-2 | Peer Review |
| DEV-3 | Secure Coding Practices |
| DEV-4 | Dependency Management |
Develop
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.LC.DEV.SECURECODE | Lifecycle Develop: Secure Coding |
| CNCF.LC.DEV.TESTING | Lifecycle Develop: Security Testing |
| CNCF.LC.DEV.THREATMODEL | Lifecycle Develop: Threat Modeling |
| DEV-1 | Security Checks in Development |
| DEV-2 | Peer Review |
| DEV-3 | Secure Coding Practices |
| DEV-4 | Dependency Management |
Distribute
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.LC.DIST.REGISTRY | Lifecycle Distribute: Registry Security |
| CNCF.LC.DIST.SIGNING | Lifecycle Distribute: Artifact Signing |
| CNCF.LC.DIST.SUPPLYCHAIN | Lifecycle Distribute: Supply Chain Integrity |
| DIST-1 | Container Image Scanning |
| DIST-2 | Artifact Signing |
| DIST-3 | Registry Security |
| DIST-4 | Supply Chain Integrity |
Distribute
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.LC.DIST.REGISTRY | Lifecycle Distribute: Registry Security |
| CNCF.LC.DIST.SIGNING | Lifecycle Distribute: Artifact Signing |
| CNCF.LC.DIST.SUPPLYCHAIN | Lifecycle Distribute: Supply Chain Integrity |
| DIST-1 | Container Image Scanning |
| DIST-2 | Artifact Signing |
| DIST-3 | Registry Security |
| DIST-4 | Supply Chain Integrity |
Governance
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.POLICY.PAC | Policy as Code |
Identity
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.IAM.HUMAN | Human Identity and Access |
| CNCF.IAM.WORKLOAD | Workload Identity |
Runtime
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| CNCF.LC.RT.INCIDENT | Lifecycle Runtime: Incident Response |
| CNCF.LC.RT.NETWORK | Lifecycle Runtime: Network Policy |
| CNCF.LC.RT.OBSERVABILITY | Lifecycle Runtime: Observability |
| CNCF.LC.RT.THREATDETECT | Lifecycle Runtime: Threat Detection |
Runtime: Compute and Access
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| RUN-A1 | Identity and Access Management |
| RUN-A2 | Network Policy Enforcement |
| RUN-C1 | Workload Isolation |
| RUN-C2 | Runtime Threat Detection |
Runtime: Storage and Observability
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| RUN-O1 | Security Observability |
| RUN-O2 | Incident Response Automation |
| RUN-S1 | Data Encryption at Rest |
| RUN-S2 | Secrets Management |
Your Compliance Coverage
If you comply with CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG), you already cover:
ASD Information Security Manual (ISM)
26%
11 controls mapped
Compare →Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v4.0.1
26%
11 controls mapped
Compare →ISO 27001:2022
26%
11 controls mapped
Compare →+ 499 more: PCI DSS v4.0 (21%), UK Gambling Commission - Cyber Resilience Requirements (21%)
See all 502 mapped frameworks ↓Maps to 502 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG)?
CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is a compliance framework from International (CNCF/Linux Foundation) with 17 domains and 42 controls. The CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) publishes security guidance for cloud‑native ecosystems, including the CNCF Cloud Native Security Whitepaper (v2, 2022), the Software Supply Chain Best Practices guide, and the CNCF Security Assessment process. These resources are best‑practice documents rather than a formal framework with defined domains or controls. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) have?
CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) has 42 controls organised across 17 domains. The largest domains are Deploy (4 controls), Develop (4 controls), Distribute (4 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) map to?
CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) maps to 502 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are ASD Information Security Manual (ISM) (26% coverage), Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v4.0.1 (26% coverage), ISO 27001:2022 (26% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) compliance?
Start your CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about CNCF Security Technical Advisory Group (TAG) requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 42 controls and track your progress.
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