# The principle of minimalism

DevFeed: [The principle of minimalism](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/the-principle-of-minimalism-13267.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.chainguard.dev/unchained/the-principle-of-minimalism>)

Published: 2023-06-22T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Chainguard: Unchained](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/chainguard-unchained.md>)

Topics: [Security](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/security.md>), [Access Control](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/access-control.md>), [Kubernetes](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/kubernetes.md>), [Docker](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/docker.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>)

Tags: [access-control](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/access-control.md>), [docker](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/docker.md>), [engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/engineering.md>), [iam](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/iam.md>), [kubernetes](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kubernetes.md>), [kubernetes-security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kubernetes-security.md>), [least-privilege](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/least-privilege.md>), [secure-by-default](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/secure-by-default.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>), [software-security-audit](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-security-audit.md>), [software-security-practices](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-security-practices.md>), [software-supply-chain](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-supply-chain.md>), [zero-trust-networking](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/zero-trust-networking.md>), [zero-trust-security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/zero-trust-security.md>)

## AI overview

This engineering commentary argues that systems should use secure-by-default minimalism: defaults should expose only what users actually need, while deviations should be intentional and audited. It uses Docker and Kubernetes examples, including root containers, mutable deployment references, and secret handling, and introduces access-control applications such as non-root execution and minimal seccomp profiles.

## Source excerpt

Learn about the principle of minimalism in engineering, where your default should be the lowest-common denominator of what you actually need.