diff --git a/CI_CD_PIPELINE_SETUP_GUIDE.md b/CI_CD_PIPELINE_SETUP_GUIDE.md
index 2352d1e..9fe2404 100644
--- a/CI_CD_PIPELINE_SETUP_GUIDE.md
+++ b/CI_CD_PIPELINE_SETUP_GUIDE.md
@@ -2010,6 +2010,13 @@ The `prod-pod.yml` file is specifically designed for production deployment and u
 - **Persistent storage**: PostgreSQL data is stored in a named volume for persistence
 - **Environment variables**: Uses environment variables for configuration (set by the CI/CD workflow)
 
+**Security Enhancements**:
+- **Rootless operation**: All containers run as non-root user (UID/GID 1000)
+- **Read-only filesystems**: Containers have read-only root filesystems with writable volumes only for data
+- **Dropped capabilities**: All Linux capabilities are dropped for maximum security
+- **No privilege escalation**: Containers cannot escalate privileges
+- **Simplified configuration**: No external configmaps - all configuration is inline for easier management
+
 **Service Architecture**:
 1. **PostgreSQL**: Database with health checks and persistent storage
 2. **Backend**: Rust API service that waits for PostgreSQL to be healthy
diff --git a/deploy/prod-pod.yml b/deploy/prod-pod.yml
index 8383872..029e1bb 100644
--- a/deploy/prod-pod.yml
+++ b/deploy/prod-pod.yml
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Pod
 metadata:
-  name: prod-pod
+  name: sharenet-production-pod
   labels:
     app: sharenet-production
   annotations:
     io.containers.no-new-privileges: "true"
 spec:
-  hostname: prod-pod
-  # Security: run as non-root user with specific UID/GID
+  hostname: sharenet-production-pod
+  # Security: run as non-root user with specific UID/GID (matches PROD_SERVICE_USER)
   securityContext:
     runAsNonRoot: true
     runAsUser: 1000
@@ -17,13 +17,20 @@ spec:
 
   containers:
   - name: postgres
-    image: localhost/postgres:deployed
+    image: ${REGISTRY_HOST}/${APP_NAME}/postgres:${IMAGE_TAG}
     # Security: drop all capabilities, read-only root filesystem except data volume
     securityContext:
       readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
       allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
       capabilities:
         drop: ["ALL"]
+    env:
+    - name: POSTGRES_DB
+      value: sharenet
+    - name: POSTGRES_USER
+      value: sharenet
+    - name: PGDATA
+      value: /var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata
     envFrom:
     - secretRef:
         name: postgres-secrets
@@ -58,13 +65,18 @@ spec:
         cpu: "500m"
 
   - name: backend
-    image: localhost/backend:deployed
+    image: ${REGISTRY_HOST}/${APP_NAME}/backend:${IMAGE_TAG}
     # Security: drop all capabilities, read-only root filesystem
     securityContext:
       readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
       allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
       capabilities:
         drop: ["ALL"]
+    env:
+    - name: DATABASE_URL
+      value: postgres://sharenet:${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}@localhost:5432/sharenet
+    - name: PORT
+      value: "3001"
     envFrom:
     - secretRef:
         name: backend-secrets
@@ -99,13 +111,18 @@ spec:
         cpu: "250m"
 
   - name: frontend
-    image: localhost/frontend:deployed
+    image: ${REGISTRY_HOST}/${APP_NAME}/frontend:${IMAGE_TAG}
     # Security: drop all capabilities, read-only root filesystem
     securityContext:
       readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
       allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
       capabilities:
         drop: ["ALL"]
+    env:
+    - name: NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL
+      value: http://localhost:3001
+    - name: PORT
+      value: "3000"
     envFrom:
     - secretRef:
         name: frontend-secrets
@@ -122,7 +139,7 @@ spec:
         cpu: "250m"
 
   - name: nginx
-    image: localhost/nginx:deployed
+    image: ${REGISTRY_HOST}/${APP_NAME}/nginx:${IMAGE_TAG}
     # Security: drop all capabilities, read-only root filesystem
     securityContext:
       readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
@@ -132,10 +149,8 @@ spec:
     ports:
     - containerPort: 80
       protocol: TCP
-      hostPort: 80
     - containerPort: 443
       protocol: TCP
-      hostPort: 443
     volumeMounts:
     - name: nginx-conf
       mountPath: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
@@ -170,7 +185,7 @@ spec:
   - name: pgdata
     hostPath:
       path: /opt/sharenet/volumes/pgdata
-      type: Directory
+      type: DirectoryOrCreate
   - name: nginx-conf
     hostPath:
       path: /opt/sharenet/nginx
@@ -178,7 +193,7 @@ spec:
   - name: nginx-cache
     hostPath:
       path: /opt/sharenet/volumes/nginx-cache
-      type: Directory
+      type: DirectoryOrCreate
   - name: letsencrypt
     hostPath:
       path: /etc/letsencrypt