diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 055468b..3466bc5 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM openjdk:17-bullseye
 
-ENV KAFKA_VERSION=3.3.2
+ENV KAFKA_VERSION=3.6.0
 ENV SCALA_VERSION=2.13
 ENV KAFKA_HOME=/opt/kafka
 ENV PATH=${PATH}:${KAFKA_HOME}/bin
diff --git a/deploy-kafka.yaml b/deploy-kafka.yaml
index bd902cf..31ab49a 100644
--- a/deploy-kafka.yaml
+++ b/deploy-kafka.yaml
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@ spec:
         - name: kafka-container
           image: kafkakraft/kafkakraft:latest
           imagePullPolicy: Always
-          securityContext:
-            allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
-            readOnlyRootFilesystem: false
-            runAsNonRoot: true
-            runAsUser: 1001
+          # securityContext:                        # deactivated - issue can be tracked here: https://github.com/stefanjay/kafka-kraft-on-k8s/issues/23
+          #   allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
+          #   readOnlyRootFilesystem: false
+          #   runAsNonRoot: true
+          #   runAsUser: 1001
           ports:
             - containerPort: 9092
             - containerPort: 9093
diff --git a/kafka-connect/.env b/kafka-connect/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..309701b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kafka-connect/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+ENV COUNTRY=DE
+ENV STATE=B
+ENV ORGANIZATION_UNIT=SVA
+ENV CITY=Berlin
+ENV PASSWORD=kS-G424<63@/9nG-94G&35d+C?VCf\P/
diff --git a/kafka-connect/Dockerfile b/kafka-connect/Dockerfile
index 1daca20..c334786 100644
--- a/kafka-connect/Dockerfile
+++ b/kafka-connect/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM openjdk:21-bullseye
 
-ENV KAFKA_VERSION=3.4.0
+ENV KAFKA_VERSION=3.6.0
 ENV SCALA_VERSION=2.13
 ENV KAFKA_HOME=/opt/kafka
 ENV PATH=${PATH}:${KAFKA_HOME}/bin
diff --git a/kafka-connect/splunk-kafka-connect-v2.1.0.jar b/kafka-connect/splunk-kafka-connect-v2.1.0.jar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2c653f
Binary files /dev/null and b/kafka-connect/splunk-kafka-connect-v2.1.0.jar differ