Imagine a world where security threats lurk in the shadows of your cloud-native applications, hidden amongst the complex web of microservices and serverless functions. You, the hero of this story, are armed with a powerful tool: OpenTelemetry. But unlike Sherlock Holmes, you don't need a magnifying glass and keen observation. OpenTelemetry is your AI assistant, your Skynet, granting you the ability to see the unseen and unravel the mysteries of your cloud environment.

We'll kick off by exploring the paradigm shift from monolithic structures to cloud-native and microservices architectures. Then, we'll delve into how OpenTelemetry offers invaluable visibility and potential security enhancements for our applications. However, relying solely on OpenTelemetry isn't sufficient; traditional security tools lag in securing microservices. Skeptical? We'll provide concrete examples. Now, picture an attack striking your own cluster – chilling, isn't it? That's why real-time runtime security is indispensable. In conclusion, we'll draw insightful conclusions on the powers of OpenTelemetry and runtime security for your microservice applications.