Configure Global Audit Logging

Global Audit Logging provides NetWitness Auditors with consolidated visibility into user activities within NetWitness in real-time from one centralized location. This visibility includes audit logs gathered from the NetWitness system and the different services throughout the NetWitness infrastructure.

NetWitness audit logs collect in a centralized system that converts them into the required format and forwards them to an external syslog system. The external syslog system can be a third-party syslog server or a Log Decoder.

You configure global audit logging in the Global Audit Logging Configurations panel. An audit logging template defines the format and message fields of the audit log entries. A Syslog Notification Server configuration defines the destination to send the audit logs. If you want to forward audit logs to a Log Decoder, configure a Syslog type of Notification Server for the Log Decoder.

The following are some of the user actions logged from NetWitness:

  • User logouts
  • All UI pages accessed
  • Committed configuration changes
  • Queries performed by the user
  • Data export operations

Note: For examples of some of the user actions logged, see Add New Configuration Dialog

After you create a global audit logging configuration, audit logs containing these user actions automatically go to the external syslog system in the format specified in the selected Audit Logging template. You can create multiple global audit logging configurations for different destinations that use different templates. For example, you can create a global audit logging configuration for an external Syslog server with a template that contains all of the available meta keys and another configuration for a Log Decoder with a template that contains selected meta keys.

For Log Decoders, you use the Default Audit CEF Template. You can add or remove fields from the Common Event Format (CEF) template if you have specific requirements. Define a Template for Global Audit Logging provides instructions and Supported CEF Meta Keys describes the CEF meta keys available to use in the audit logging templates.

For third-party syslog servers, you can use a default audit logging template or define your own format (CEF or non-CEF). Define a Template for Global Audit Logging provides instructions and Supported Global Audit Logging Meta Key Variables describes the available variables.

Auditors can view the audit logs on the selected Log Decoder or third-party syslog server. If using a Log Decoder, auditors can view the audit logs using NetWitness Investigations or Reports.

The following figure shows global audit logs in Investigation (Investigate > Events).

122_Events_view1_1122.png

For examples of some of the user actions logged, see Add New Configuration Dialog. For a list of message types being logged by the various NetWitness components, see Global Audit Logging Operation Reference.

Global Audit Logging - High-Level Procedure

Global Audit Logging is configured in the Global Audit Logging Configurations panel, which is accessed from netwitness_adminicon_25x22.png (Admin) > System view > Global Auditing. Before you can configure Global Audit Logging, you need to configure a Syslog Notification Server and an Audit Logging template. A Syslog Notification Server defines the destination to send the audit logs. An Audit Logging template defines the format and message fields of the audit log entry.

The Global Audit Logging Configuration panel provides a view settings link that takes you to the Global Notifications panel ( netwitness_adminicon_25x22.png (Admin) > System view > Global Notifications) where you can configure the Syslog Notification Server and Audit Logging template.

Perform the following procedures in the order shown to configure Global Audit Logging.

Procedures Reference / Instructions
  1. Configure a Syslog Notification Server.
 Configure a Syslog Notification Server to use for Global Audit Logging. You can define a third-party syslog server or Log Decoder as a destination to receive the audit logs.
Configure a Destination to Receive Global Audit Logs. Global Audit Logging configurations use the Syslog notification server type. If you want to forward audit logs to a Log Decoder, create a Notification Server of the Syslog type.
  1. Select or configure an Audit Logging template to use.
 Select an Audit Logging template for the Syslog notification server. You can use a default Audit Logging template or define your own audit logging template. Global Audit Logging configurations use the Audit Logging template type and a Syslog notification server.
Configure Templates for Notifications provides additional information.
For Log Decoders, use the Default Audit CEF Template. You can add or remove fields from the Common Event Format (CEF) template if you have specific requirements. Define a Template for Global Audit Logging provides instructions.
For third-party syslog servers, you can use a default audit logging template or define your own format (CEF or non-CEF). Define a Template for Global Audit Logging provides instructions and Supported Global Audit Logging Meta Key Variables describes the available variables.
  1. (Optional - Only if consuming with a Log Decoder) Deploy the Common Event Format parser to your Log Decoder from Live.
 Ensure that you have deployed and enabled the latest Common Event Format parser from Live. Find and Deploy Live Resources and Enable and Disable Log Parsers provide instructions.
  1. Define a global audit logging configuration, which defines how the global audit logs are forwarded to external Syslog systems.
 Define a Global Audit Logging Configuration provides instructions. After you add a Global Audit Logging configuration, audit logs are forwarded to the selected Notification Server in the configuration.
  1. Verify that the global audit logs show the audit events.
 Test your audit logs to ensure that they show the audit events as defined in your audit logging template. Verify Global Audit Logs provides instructions.

6. Troubleshoot Global Audit Logging

Troubleshoot System Configuration provides instructions on troubleshooting the logstash and rabbitmq connection issue.