In this section, we will cover how to configure security in Jenkins to ensure that your Jenkins instance is protected from unauthorized access and potential vulnerabilities. Security is a critical aspect of any CI/CD pipeline, and Jenkins provides several features to help you secure your environment.

1. User Authentication: Verifying the identity of users accessing Jenkins.
2. Authorization: Controlling what authenticated users can do within Jenkins.
3. Security Realms: Mechanisms for authenticating users.
4. Authorization Strategies: Methods for defining permissions and access control.
5. Security Settings: Configurations to enhance the security of Jenkins.

Jenkins supports various authentication mechanisms, including:

• Jenkins' own user database: A simple, built-in user database.
• LDAP: Integrating with an LDAP server.
• Active Directory: Integrating with Microsoft Active Directory.
• OAuth: Using OAuth providers like GitHub, Google, etc.

1. Navigate to "Manage Jenkins":

   • Go to your Jenkins dashboard.
   • Click on "Manage Jenkins" from the left-hand menu.

2. Configure Global Security:

   • Click on "Configure Global Security".

3. Enable Security:

   • Check the "Enable security" checkbox.

4. Security Realm:

   • Select "Jenkins' own user database".
   • Check "Allow users to sign up" if you want users to create their own accounts.

5. Save:

   • Click "Save" to apply the changes.

Jenkins provides several authorization strategies to control user permissions:

• Matrix-based security: Fine-grained control over permissions.
• Project-based Matrix Authorization Strategy: Similar to matrix-based but allows project-specific permissions.
• Role-based strategy: Define roles and assign permissions to roles.

1. Navigate to "Manage Jenkins":

   • Go to your Jenkins dashboard.
   • Click on "Manage Jenkins" from the left-hand menu.

2. Configure Global Security:

   • Click on "Configure Global Security".

3. Authorization:

   • Select "Matrix-based security".

4. Add Users/Groups:

   • Add users or groups and assign permissions by checking the appropriate boxes.

5. Save:

   • Click "Save" to apply the changes.

Security realms are used to authenticate users. Jenkins supports several security realms:

• Jenkins' own user database: Simple and built-in.
• LDAP: Connect to an LDAP server.
• Active Directory: Integrate with Active Directory.
• OAuth: Use OAuth providers.

1. Navigate to "Manage Jenkins":

   • Go to your Jenkins dashboard.
   • Click on "Manage Jenkins" from the left-hand menu.

2. Configure Global Security:

   • Click on "Configure Global Security".

3. Security Realm:

   • Select "LDAP".
   • Enter the LDAP server details (e.g., server, root DN, user search base, etc.).

4. Save:

   • Click "Save" to apply the changes.

Jenkins provides additional security settings to enhance the security of your instance:

• CSRF Protection: Protect against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks.
• Agent-to-Master Security: Secure communication between agents and the master.
• CLI Over Remoting: Disable if not needed to reduce attack surface.

1. Navigate to "Manage Jenkins":

   • Go to your Jenkins dashboard.
   • Click on "Manage Jenkins" from the left-hand menu.

2. Configure Global Security:

   • Click on "Configure Global Security".

3. CSRF Protection:

   • Check the "Prevent Cross Site Request Forgery exploits" checkbox.

4. Save:

   • Click "Save" to apply the changes.

1. Objective: Configure Jenkins to use its own user database for authentication and set up matrix-based security for authorization.
2. Steps:
   • Navigate to "Manage Jenkins" -> "Configure Global Security".
   • Enable security and select "Jenkins' own user database".
   • Select "Matrix-based security" for authorization.
   • Add a user with admin permissions.
   • Save the configuration.

1. Navigate to "Manage Jenkins":

   • Go to your Jenkins dashboard.
   • Click on "Manage Jenkins" from the left-hand menu.

2. Configure Global Security:

   • Click on "Configure Global Security".

3. Enable Security:

   • Check the "Enable security" checkbox.

4. Security Realm:

   • Select "Jenkins' own user database".

5. Authorization:

   • Select "Matrix-based security".
   • Add a user (e.g., "admin") and assign admin permissions.

6. Save:

   • Click "Save" to apply the changes.

In this section, we covered the essential aspects of configuring security in Jenkins, including user authentication, authorization, security realms, and additional security settings. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your Jenkins instance is secure and protected from unauthorized access. In the next section, we will explore how to manage Jenkins nodes.