Collect Cisco VPN logs

This document explains how to ingest Cisco ASA VPN logs to Google Security Operations using Bindplane. The parser extracts fields from the syslog messages using grok patterns, handling both standard syslog formats and alternative message tructures. It then maps the extracted fields to the Unified Data Model (UDM), categorizes events based on IDs and extracted information, and enriches the data with metadata like vendor, product, and event type. The parser also handles specific event IDs, applying additional grok patterns and logic to extract relevant details and map them to appropriate UDM fields.

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• Google SecOps instance
• A Windows 2016 or later, or a Linux host with systemd
• If running behind a proxy, firewall ports are open
• Privileged access to Cisco ASA

Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file

1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
2. Go to SIEM Settings > Collection Agents.
3. Download the Ingestion Authentication File. Save the file securely on the system where Bindplane will be installed.

Get Google SecOps customer ID

1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
2. Go to SIEM Settings > Profile.
3. Copy and save the Customer ID from the Organization Details section.

Install the Bindplane agent

Install the Bindplane agent on your Windows or Linux operating system according to the following instructions.

Windows installation

1. Open the Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.

2. Run the following command:

   msiexec /i "https://github.com/observIQ/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/observiq-otel-collector.msi" /quiet
   

Linux installation

1. Open a terminal with root or sudo privileges.

2. Run the following command:

   sudo sh -c "$(curl -fsSlL https://github.com/observiq/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/install_unix.sh)" install_unix.sh
   

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options, consult the installation guide.

Configure the Bindplane agent to ingest Syslog and send to Google SecOps

1. Access the configuration file:
   • Locate the config.yaml file. Typically, it's in the /etc/bindplane-agent/ directory on Linux or in the installation directory on Windows.
   • Open the file using a text editor (for example, nano, vi, or Notepad).

2. Edit the config.yaml file as follows:

   receivers:
       udplog:
           # Replace the port and IP address as required
           listen_address: "0.0.0.0:514"
   
   exporters:
       chronicle/chronicle_w_labels:
           compression: gzip
           # Adjust the path to the credentials file you downloaded in Step 1
           creds_file_path: '/path/to/ingestion-authentication-file.json'
           # Replace with your actual customer ID from Step 2
           customer_id: <customer_id>
           endpoint: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
           # Add optional ingestion labels for better organization
           log_type: 'CISCO_VPN'
           raw_log_field: body
           ingestion_labels:
   
   service:
       pipelines:
           logs/source0__chronicle_w_labels-0:
               receivers:
                   - udplog
               exporters:
                   - chronicle/chronicle_w_labels
   

   • Replace the port and IP address as required in your infrastructure.
   • Replace <customer_id> with the actual customer ID.
   • Update /path/to/ingestion-authentication-file.json to the path where the authentication file was saved in the Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file section.

Restart the Bindplane agent to apply the changes

• To restart the Bindplane agent in Linux, run the following command:

  sudo systemctl restart bindplane-agent
  

• To restart the Bindplane agent in Windows, you can either use the Services console or enter the following command:

  net stop BindPlaneAgent && net start BindPlaneAgent
  

Configure Syslog for Cisco ASA VPN

1. Open the Cisco ASDM.
2. Go to Configuration > Features > Properties > Logging > Logging Setup.
3. Select the Enable logging checkbox to enable syslog.
4. Select Syslog Servers in Logging and click Add.
5. Enter the following configuration details in the Add Syslog Server window:
   • Interface: Select the interface for outbound communication.
   • IP Address: Enter the Bindplane agent Ip address.
   • Protocol: Select UDP.
   • Port: Enter the Bindplane agent port number.
   • Click OK.
6. Select Logging Filters in the logging section.
7. Select Syslog Servers and click Edit.
8. Select Informational from the list as the Filter on severity.
9. Click OK.
10. Click Apply.

UDM mapping table

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