HashiCorp Consul has evolved into a comprehensive networking platform that bolsters zero-trust networking, works well with Kubernetes, and is remarkably easy to use. Consul can relieve pain points in security by offloading traffic between network services to be handled by its service mesh, allowing administrators to authorize communication between services based on service names rather than IP addresses. This makes it easier to manage communication between services, particularly across microservice environments where the service names are constant while the IP addresses are dynamic. Consul also thrives on Kubernetes, with powerful features for the platform and a tight integration with Vault. Additionally, Consul is easier to use than many people realize, with capabilities that can be tailored to individual needs and use cases, making it simple to deploy, manage, and use.