Cilium: One eBPF Data Plane for Networking, Security, and Encryption

When you built the cluster , one cilium install gave it pod networking, replaced kube-proxy, and encrypted traffic between nodes, three jobs the 2020 edition did with three separate pieces. This post is the deeper look at why Cilium is the networking choice in 2026, what its eBPF data plane buys you, and how to use the security and observability that come with it.