Creating a Custom Feed

This topic provides instructions for creating a custom feed using a .csv or STIX formatted feed data file in RSA NetWitness. For more information about STIX and creating a STIX custom feed, see Create a STIX Custom Feed.

You can easily create a custom feed using the Custom Feed wizard. To complete this procedure, you need a feed data file in .csvor .xml format. If you also have an associated feed definition file in .xml format, which describes the structure of the feed data file, you can use the feed definition file to create a feed. The Custom Feed wizard can create the feed based on a feed data file, or based on a feed data file and corresponding feed definition file.

After completing this procedure, you will have created a custom feed.

The feed data file (.csv or STIX (.xml)) and optionally the feed definition file (.xml) must be available on the local file system for an on-demand custom feed. For a recurring custom feed, the files must be available at a URL that is accessible to the NetWitness server.

Note: Any feeds that are created will be automatically pushed to Context Hub as Lists. The lists can be looked up in the context lookup panel of the Respond and Investigate pages. If Context Hub is not configured or the service is down, then the feeds will be pushed to Context Hub the next time the server is available.

To create a custom feed:

  1. Go to netwitness_configureicon_24x21.png (Configure) > CUSTOM FEEDS.

    The Custom Feeds view is displayed.

    122_CustomFeeds_1122.png

  2. In the toolbar, click netwitness_add.png.

    The Setup Feed dialog is displayed.

    netwitness_setfeed_189x128.png

  3. To select the feed type, click Custom Feed and Next.

    The Configure a Custom Feed wizard is displayed, with the Define Feed form open.

    netwitness_confcustomfeed_623x297.png

  4. To define a feed based on a .csv formatted feed data file, select CSV in the Feed Type field.

  5. To define an on-demand feed task that executes once, select Adhoc in the Feed Task Type field and do one of the following:

    1. (Conditional) To define a feed based on a .csv formatted feed data file, type the feed Name.
    2. Select the checkbox Upload As CSV File Feed, if required.
    3. Select a .csv content File from the local file system, and click Next.

    4. (Conditional) To define a feed based on an XML feed file, select Advanced Options.

      The Advanced Options are displayed:

      netwitness_confcustfeedadv.png

    5. Select an XML feed file from the local file system, choose the Separator (default is comma), and specify the Comment characters used in the feed data file (default is #), and click Next.

    6. The Select Services form is displayed. This is an example of the form for a feed based on a feed data file with no feed definition file. If you are defining a feed based on a feed definition file, the Define Columns tab is not needed.

      netwitness_selectservices_584x483.png

  6. To define a recurring feed task that executes repeatedly at specified intervals, during a specified date range.

    1. Select Recurring in the Feed Task Type field.

      The Define Feed dialog includes the fields for a recurring feed.

      netwitness_recurring-feed.png

    2. In the URL field, enter the URL where the feed data file is located, for example, http://<hostname>/<feeddatafile>.csv, and click Verify.

      NetWitness verifies the location where the file is stored, so that NetWitness can check for the latest file automatically before each recurrence.

    3. (Optional) If the URL has restricted access and requires authentication using your username and password, select Authenticated.

      NetWitness provides your user name and password for authentication to the URL.

    4. If you want the NetWitness server to access the Feed URL through a proxy, select Use Proxy. For more information on configuring a proxy, see the Configure Proxy for NetWitness topic in the System Configuration Guide. By default, the Use Proxy checkbox is not selected.
      NOTE:
      If you are using an HTTPS based feed server, ensure that you import and install the certificates.
      For more information, see Import Certificates for HTTPS Service

    5. To define the interval for recurrence, do one of the following:

      • Specify the number of minutes, hours, or days between recurrences of the feed.
      • Specify recurrence every week, and select the days of the week.

    6. To define the date range for the execution of the feed to recur, specify the Start Date and time and the End Date and time.

      netwitness_1061_testrecurringfeed_563x455.png

  7. (Conditional) If you want to define a feed based on an XML feed file:

    • Type the feed Name, select Advanced Options.

      The Advanced Options fields are displayed.

    • Select an XML feed file from the local file system, choose the Separator (default is comma), specify the Comment characters used in the feed data file (default is #) and click Next.

      The Select Services dialog is displayed.

      netwitness_selectservices_548x452.png

  8. To identify services on which to deploy the feed, do one of the following:

    1. Select one or more Decoders and Log Decoders, and click Next.

    2. Click the Groups tab and select a group. Click Next.

      The Define Columns dialog is displayed.

  9. To map columns in the Define Columns form:

    1. Define the Index type: IP, IP Range, or Non IP, and select the index column.
    2. (Conditional) If the index type is IP or IP Range and the IP address is in CIDR notation, select CIDR.

    3. (Conditional) If the index type is Non IP, additional settings are displayed. Select the service type and Callback Keys, and optionally select the Truncate Domain and Ignore Case option.

      netwitness_104ccfdefinecolumns_509x418.png

    4. Select the language key to apply to the data in each column from the drop-down list. The meta displayed in the drop-down list is based on the meta available for the service define values. You can also add other meta based on advanced expertise.

      netwitness_104ccfdefinecolfilled_534x438.png

      Note: When a custom feed gets converted into a context hub list, you must map at least one meta key with one or more meta types by mapping a column header with a meta. However, you can add or edit the entity mapping of a list by clicking netwitness_ic-actns2.png in the Lists tab. For more information, see the Context Hub Configuration Guide.

    5. Click Next.

      The Review dialog is displayed.

      netwitness_104ccfreview_530x434.png

  10. Anytime before you click Finish, you can:

    • Click Cancel to close the wizard without saving your feed definition.
    • Click Reset to clear the data in the wizard.
    • Click Next to display the next form (if not viewing the last form).
    • Click Prev to display the previous form (if not viewing the first form)
  11. Review the feed information, and if correct, click Finish.
  12. Upon successful creation of the feed definition file, the Create Feed wizard closes, and the feed and corresponding token file are listed in the Feed grid and progress bar tracks completion. You can expand or collapse the entry to see how many services are included, and which services were successful.

Note: When you create a feed, and if there is no entity mapping done such as in case of custom meta, then those columns in the List will not have entity mappings in Context Hub. You have to manually map the entities from the List page.

Import Certificates for HTTPS Service

Import certificates to communicate with the HTTPS services:

  1. SSH to the NW node and copy the CA certificate located in the following directory:
    /etc/pki/ca-trust/source/

  2. Execute the following command to update the certificates:
    update-ca-trust
  3. Execute the following command to add the certificate to the java keystore:
    keytool -list -keystore /etc/pki/java/cacerts -storepass changeit |& head
  4. Restart the service on the NW node.

Note: Perform the procedure for all the HTTPS servers.
Example: HTTPS proxy server and HTTPS feed server.