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The build-deploy-runtime split is where hidden SKUs live; look for a stage-by-stage licensing map, not 'full lifecycle' marketing.
eBPF-based sensing is the current standard for overhead/safety; strong answers give measured overhead and an explicit, configurable fail-open/closed answer.
In-use/reachability filtering plus layer attribution is what turns thousands of image CVEs into an actionable list — look for both, with a measured noise-reduction figure.
Look for signature verification plus policy-as-code with a real audit-then-enforce rollout path — day-one blocking without audit mode breaks deployments and gets disabled.
Drift detection is container-native security's core advantage; strong answers pair it with graduated response and explicit false-positive guardrails.
Cluster misconfiguration is as exploited as workload vulnerabilities; look for genuine KSPM depth, not a CIS-benchmark checkbox.
Serverless containers can't host a node sensor; honest answers state exactly what coverage remains there rather than claiming uniform protection.
Look for detection plus the remediation path (external secrets operator integration) — finding baked-in secrets without a migration story just documents the problem.
Container/pod-count-based pricing interacts awkwardly with autoscaling — ask explicitly how the vendor handles pricing for a highly elastic workload rather than assuming a static count.
Ephemeral containers make forensic capture time-sensitive — ask for a specific pre-termination evidence-capture mechanism and a real customer incident example, not just a generic 'we log everything' claim.
Ask for real evidence of PCI assessor acceptance, not just a generic 'PCI-ready' marketing claim — this is a concrete, checkable claim worth pressing on.
Look for genuine integration into a unified risk view; a standalone container dashboard disconnected from the broader AppSec/VM picture creates real reconciliation burden.
A false positive on runtime detection with automated response (e.g., killing a container) can cause real production outages — ask for a real, customer-validated false-positive figure and a safe rollout-tuning process.
Trend-over-time reporting is a distinct capability from a real-time dashboard — confirm this exists as a maintained, exportable report.
Namespace-isolation validation is a distinct capability from image/runtime scanning — a vendor should give a specific answer on how cross-namespace access is detected or prevented, not assume namespace boundaries are self-enforcing.
Strong answers give a concrete, customer-validated timeline for a realistic existing-footprint scenario (not a greenfield cluster) and are honest about the customer-side configuration effort required.
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