In a significant update to the Elastic Stack, Elasticsearch announced that its core security features are now available for free in the default distribution starting with versions 6.8.0 and 7.1.0. Previously part of a paid Gold subscription, these features include TLS for encrypted communications, user management, and role-based access control, which also secures Kibana Spaces, enhancing security for cluster operations, particularly in Kubernetes environments. This change aligns with the release of Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK), the official Kubernetes Operator designed to streamline Elasticsearch deployment and operations within Kubernetes. While advanced security features remain part of paid tiers, the integration of basic security into the free tier aims to ensure seamless, secure setups for users across all environments. Existing users are encouraged to upgrade to the latest versions to benefit from these enhancements, with support materials available to facilitate the process.