Falco on Kubernetes: Runtime Security with eBPF

Originally published on for minimum version requirements by driver type.

Also verify your . The field reference is comprehensive and the conditions are readable once you know the namespace.

For — Falco covers the runtime layer that static config scanners miss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Falco work on managed Kubernetes like EKS, GKE, or AKS?

A: Yes. All three managed providers support running Falco as a DaemonSet. On GKE, you'll need Container-Optimized OS nodes with the right kernel version for modern_ebpf. EKS and AKS support it on Amazon Linux 2 and Ubuntu node pools respectively.

Q: Will Falco slow down my Kubernetes workloads?

A: The modern eBPF driver has minimal overhead — typically 1-3% CPU on nodes under normal load. The syscall monitoring happens in the kernel, separate from your container processes. Heavy filtering of low-priority events through priority levels keeps the overhead manageable.

Q: Does Falco block threats or only alert?

A: By default, Falco only alerts. For active response — killing a pod, triggering a network policy change — you pair Falco with a response engine. Falco's Kubernetes Response Engine project, or a custom Falcosidekick webhook handler, can trigger automated remediation.

Q: How do I update Falco rules without redeploying the DaemonSet?

A: Use falcoctl — the Falco artifact manager — to pull updated rules at runtime. This is the recommended approach for production: falcoctl artifact install ruleset:falco-rules without a full Helm upgrade.

Q: Can I run Falco alongside other security tools like Trivy or kube-bench?

A: Yes, and you should. Falco covers runtime behavior. Trivy covers image vulnerabilities. kube-bench covers CIS benchmark compliance. These tools address different attack surfaces and complement each other.

Quick Summary:

• Falco monitors kernel system calls via eBPF — it catches runtime threats that config scanners miss


• Install with Helm: driver.kind=modern_ebpf is the right choice for kernel 5.8+ production clusters


• Enable collectors.kubernetes.enabled=true to get pod/namespace context in every alert


• Falcosidekick routes alerts to 50+ integrations — Slack, PagerDuty, Elasticsearch — with a single Helm value


• Custom rules go in falco_rules.local.yaml and load last, overriding defaults


• Falco alerts but doesn't block by default — pair it with a response engine for automated remediation

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