Collect BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM) logs

Supported in:

Google secops SIEM

This document explains how to ingest BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM) logs to Google Security Operations using Google Cloud Storage. The parser focuses on transforming raw JSON log data from BeyondTrust Endpoint into a structured format conforming to the Chronicle UDM. It first initializes default values for various fields and then parses the JSON payload, subsequently mapping specific fields from the raw log into corresponding UDM fields within the event.idm.read_only_udm object.

Before you begin

Ensure that you have the following prerequisites:

A Google SecOps instance
A GCP project with Cloud Storage API enabled
Permissions to create and manage GCS buckets
Permissions to manage IAM policies on GCS buckets
Permissions to create Cloud Run services, Pub/Sub topics, and Cloud Scheduler jobs
Privileged access to BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management tenant or API

Create Google Cloud Storage bucket

Go to the Google Cloud Console.
Select your project or create a new one.
In the navigation menu, go to Cloud Storage > Buckets.
Click Create bucket.

Provide the following configuration details:

Setting	Value
Name your bucket	Enter a globally unique name (for example, `beyondtrust-epm-logs`)
Location type	Choose based on your needs (Region, Dual-region, Multi-region)
Location	Select the location (for example, `us-central1`)
Storage class	Standard (recommended for frequently accessed logs)
Access control	Uniform (recommended)
Protection tools	Optional: Enable object versioning or retention policy

Click Create.

Collect BeyondTrust EPM API credentials

Sign in to the BeyondTrust Privilege Management web console as an administrator.
Go to Configuration > Settings > API Settings.
Click Create an API Account.
Provide the following configuration details:
- Name: Enter Google SecOps Collector.
- API Access: Enable Audit (Read) and other scopes as required.
Copy and save the Client ID and Client Secret.
Copy your API base URL; it's typically https://<your-tenant>-services.pm.beyondtrustcloud.com (you'll use this as BPT_API_URL).

Create service account for Cloud Run function

The Cloud Run function needs a service account with permissions to write to GCS bucket and be invoked by Pub/Sub.

Create service account

In the GCP Console, go to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts.
Click Create Service Account.
Provide the following configuration details:
- Service account name: Enter beyondtrust-epm-collector-sa.
- Service account description: Enter Service account for Cloud Run function to collect BeyondTrust EPM logs.
Click Create and Continue.
In the Grant this service account access to project section, add the following roles:
1. Click Select a role.
2. Search for and select Storage Object Admin.
3. Click + Add another role.
4. Search for and select Cloud Run Invoker.
5. Click + Add another role.
6. Search for and select Cloud Functions Invoker.
Click Continue.
Click Done.

These roles are required for:

Storage Object Admin: Write logs to GCS bucket and manage state files
Cloud Run Invoker: Allow Pub/Sub to invoke the function
Cloud Functions Invoker: Allow function invocation

Grant IAM permissions on GCS bucket

Grant the service account write permissions on the GCS bucket:

Go to Cloud Storage > Buckets.
Click your bucket name.
Go to the Permissions tab.
Click Grant access.
Provide the following configuration details:
- Add principals: Enter the service account email (for example, beyondtrust-epm-collector-sa@PROJECT_ID.iam.gserviceaccount.com).
- Assign roles: Select Storage Object Admin.
Click Save.

Create Pub/Sub topic

Create a Pub/Sub topic that Cloud Scheduler will publish to and the Cloud Run function will subscribe to.

In the GCP Console, go to Pub/Sub > Topics.
Click Create topic.
Provide the following configuration details:
- Topic ID: Enter beyondtrust-epm-trigger.
- Leave other settings as default.
Click Create.

Create Cloud Run function to collect logs

The Cloud Run function is triggered by Pub/Sub messages from Cloud Scheduler to fetch logs from BeyondTrust EPM API and writes them to GCS.

In the GCP Console, go to Cloud Run.
Click Create service.
Select Function (use an inline editor to create a function).
In the Configure section, provide the following configuration details:

Setting Value

Service name beyondtrust-epm-collector

Region Select region matching your GCS bucket (for example, us-central1)

Runtime Select Python 3.12 or later
In the Trigger (optional) section:
1. Click + Add trigger.
2. Select Cloud Pub/Sub.
3. In Select a Cloud Pub/Sub topic, choose the topic beyondtrust-epm-trigger.
4. Click Save.
In the Authentication section:
1. Select Require authentication.
2. Check Identity and Access Management (IAM).
Note: Pub/Sub automatically handles authentication when invoking the function.
Scroll down and expand Containers, Networking, Security.
Go to the Security tab:
- Service account: Select the service account beyondtrust-epm-collector-sa.

Setting	Value
Service name	`beyondtrust-epm-collector`
Region	Select region matching your GCS bucket (for example, `us-central1`)
Runtime	Select Python 3.12 or later

Go to the Containers tab:

Click Variables & Secrets.
Click + Add variable for each environment variable:

Variable Name	Example Value
`GCS_BUCKET`	`beyondtrust-epm-logs`
`GCS_PREFIX`	`beyondtrust-epm/`
`STATE_KEY`	`beyondtrust-epm/state.json`
`BPT_API_URL`	`https://yourtenant-services.pm.beyondtrustcloud.com`
`CLIENT_ID`	`your-client-id`
`CLIENT_SECRET`	`your-client-secret`
`OAUTH_SCOPE`	`management-api`
`RECORD_SIZE`	`1000`
`MAX_ITERATIONS`	`10`

Scroll down in the Variables & Secrets tab to Requests:
- Request timeout: Enter 600 seconds (10 minutes).
Go to the Settings tab in Containers:
- In the Resources section:
  - Memory: Select 512 MiB or higher.
  - CPU: Select 1.
- Click Done.
Scroll to Execution environment:
- Select Default (recommended).
In the Revision scaling section:
- Minimum number of instances: Enter 0.
- Maximum number of instances: Enter 100 (or adjust based on expected load).
Click Create.
Wait for the service to be created (1-2 minutes).
After the service is created, the inline code editor opens automatically.

Add function code

Enter main in Function entry point

In the inline code editor, create two files:

First file: main.py:

import functions_framework
from google.cloud import storage
import json
import os
import urllib3
from datetime import datetime, timezone, timedelta
import time

# Initialize HTTP client
http = urllib3.PoolManager()

# Initialize Storage client
storage_client = storage.Client()

@functions_framework.cloud_event
def main(cloud_event):
    """
    Cloud Run function triggered by Pub/Sub to fetch logs from BeyondTrust EPM API and write to GCS.

    Args:
        cloud_event: CloudEvent object containing Pub/Sub message
    """

    # Get environment variables
    bucket_name = os.environ.get('GCS_BUCKET')
    prefix = os.environ.get('GCS_PREFIX', 'beyondtrust-epm/')
    state_key = os.environ.get('STATE_KEY', 'beyondtrust-epm/state.json')

    # BeyondTrust EPM API credentials
    api_url = os.environ.get('BPT_API_URL')
    client_id = os.environ.get('CLIENT_ID')
    client_secret = os.environ.get('CLIENT_SECRET')
    oauth_scope = os.environ.get('OAUTH_SCOPE', 'management-api')
    record_size = int(os.environ.get('RECORD_SIZE', '1000'))
    max_iterations = int(os.environ.get('MAX_ITERATIONS', '10'))

    if not all([bucket_name, api_url, client_id, client_secret]):
        print('Error: Missing required environment variables')
        return

    try:
        # Get GCS bucket
        bucket = storage_client.bucket(bucket_name)

        # Load state (last processed timestamp)
        state = load_state(bucket, state_key)
        last_timestamp = state.get('last_timestamp', (datetime.utcnow() - timedelta(hours=24)).strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"))

        print(f'Processing logs since {last_timestamp}')

        # Get OAuth access token
        token = get_oauth_token(api_url, client_id, client_secret, oauth_scope)

        # Fetch audit events
        events = fetch_audit_events(api_url, token, last_timestamp, record_size, max_iterations)

        if events:
            # Store events in GCS
            current_timestamp = datetime.utcnow()
            filename = f"{prefix}beyondtrust-epm-events-{current_timestamp.strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')}.json"
            store_events_to_gcs(bucket, filename, events)

            # Update state with latest timestamp
            latest_timestamp = get_latest_event_timestamp(events)
            save_state(bucket, state_key, {'last_timestamp': latest_timestamp, 'updated_at': datetime.utcnow().isoformat() + 'Z'})

            print(f'Successfully processed {len(events)} events and stored to {filename}')
        else:
            print('No new events found')

    except Exception as e:
        print(f'Error processing logs: {str(e)}')
        raise

def get_oauth_token(api_url, client_id, client_secret, scope):
    """
    Get OAuth access token using client credentials flow for BeyondTrust EPM.
    Uses the correct endpoint: /oauth/token
    """
    token_url = f"{api_url}/oauth/token"
    headers = {'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'}
    body = f"grant_type=client_credentials&client_id={client_id}&client_secret={client_secret}&scope={scope}"

    response = http.request('POST', token_url, headers=headers, body=body, timeout=urllib3.Timeout(60.0))

    if response.status != 200:
        raise RuntimeError(f"Token request failed: {response.status} {response.data[:256]!r}")

    token_data = json.loads(response.data.decode('utf-8'))
    return token_data['access_token']

def fetch_audit_events(api_url, access_token, last_timestamp, record_size, max_iterations):
    """
    Fetch audit events using the BeyondTrust EPM API endpoint: /management-api/v2/AuditEvents
    with query parameters for filtering and pagination
    """
    headers = {
        'Authorization': f'Bearer {access_token}',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    }

    all_events = []
    current_start_date = last_timestamp
    iterations = 0

    # Enforce maximum RecordSize limit of 1000 based on BeyondTrust documentation
    record_size_limited = min(record_size, 1000)

    while iterations < max_iterations:
        iterations += 1

        if len(all_events) >= 10000:
            print(f"Reached maximum events limit (10000)")
            break

        # Use the BeyondTrust EPM API endpoint for audit events
        query_url = f"{api_url}/management-api/v2/AuditEvents"
        params = {
            'StartDate': current_start_date,
            'RecordSize': record_size_limited
        }

        # Construct URL with query parameters
        query_string = '&'.join([f"{k}={v}" for k, v in params.items()])
        full_url = f"{query_url}?{query_string}"

        try:
            response = http.request('GET', full_url, headers=headers, timeout=urllib3.Timeout(300.0))

            # Handle rate limiting with exponential backoff
            if response.status == 429:
                retry_after = int(response.headers.get('Retry-After', '30'))
                print(f"Rate limited (429). Retrying after {retry_after}s...")
                time.sleep(retry_after)
                continue

            if response.status != 200:
                raise RuntimeError(f"API request failed: {response.status} {response.data[:256]!r}")

            response_data = json.loads(response.data.decode('utf-8'))
            events = response_data.get('events', [])

            if not events:
                break

            print(f"Page {iterations}: Retrieved {len(events)} events")
            all_events.extend(events)

            # If we got fewer events than RecordSize, we've reached the end
            if len(events) < record_size_limited:
                break

            # For pagination, update StartDate to the timestamp of the last event
            last_event = events[-1]
            last_timestamp = extract_event_timestamp(last_event)

            if not last_timestamp:
                print("Warning: Could not find timestamp in last event for pagination")
                break

            # Convert to datetime and add 1 second to avoid retrieving the same event again
            try:
                dt = parse_timestamp(last_timestamp)
                dt = dt + timedelta(seconds=1)
                current_start_date = dt.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
            except Exception as e:
                print(f"Error parsing timestamp {last_timestamp}: {e}")
                break

        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error fetching page {iterations}: {e}")
            break

    return all_events

def extract_event_timestamp(event):
    """Extract timestamp from event, checking multiple possible fields"""
    # Check common timestamp fields
    timestamp_fields = ['event.dateTime', 'event.timestamp', 'timestamp', 'eventTime', 'dateTime', 'whenOccurred', 'date', 'time', 'event.ingested']

    # Try nested event.dateTime first (common in BeyondTrust)
    if isinstance(event, dict) and isinstance(event.get("event"), dict):
        ts = event["event"].get("dateTime")
        if ts:
            return ts
        ts = event["event"].get("timestamp")
        if ts:
            return ts

    # Fallback to other timestamp fields
    for field in timestamp_fields:
        if field in event and event[field]:
            return event[field]

    return None

def parse_timestamp(timestamp_str):
    """Parse timestamp string to datetime object, handling various formats"""
    if isinstance(timestamp_str, (int, float)):
        # Unix timestamp (in milliseconds or seconds)
        if timestamp_str > 1e12:  # Milliseconds
            return datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp_str / 1000, tz=timezone.utc)
        else:  # Seconds
            return datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp_str, tz=timezone.utc)

    if isinstance(timestamp_str, str):
        # Try different string formats
        try:
            # ISO format with Z
            if timestamp_str.endswith('Z'):
                return datetime.fromisoformat(timestamp_str.replace('Z', '+00:00'))
            # ISO format with timezone
            elif '+' in timestamp_str or timestamp_str.endswith('00:00'):
                return datetime.fromisoformat(timestamp_str)
            # ISO format without timezone (assume UTC)
            else:
                dt = datetime.fromisoformat(timestamp_str)
                if dt.tzinfo is None:
                    dt = dt.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
                return dt
        except ValueError:
            pass

    raise ValueError(f"Could not parse timestamp: {timestamp_str}")

def load_state(bucket, key):
    """Load state from GCS."""
    try:
        blob = bucket.blob(key)
        if blob.exists():
            state_data = blob.download_as_text()
            return json.loads(state_data)
    except Exception as e:
        print(f'Warning: Could not load state: {str(e)}')
    return {}

def save_state(bucket, key, state):
    """Save state to GCS."""
    try:
        blob = bucket.blob(key)
        blob.upload_from_string(
            json.dumps(state),
            content_type='application/json'
        )
    except Exception as e:
        print(f'Warning: Could not save state: {str(e)}')

def store_events_to_gcs(bucket, key, events):
    """Store events as JSONL (one JSON object per line) in GCS"""
    # Convert to JSONL format (one JSON object per line)
    jsonl_content = '\n'.join(json.dumps(event, default=str) for event in events)

    blob = bucket.blob(key)
    blob.upload_from_string(jsonl_content, content_type='application/x-ndjson')

def get_latest_event_timestamp(events):
    """Get the latest timestamp from the events for state tracking"""
    if not events:
        return datetime.utcnow().isoformat() + 'Z'

    latest = None
    for event in events:
        timestamp = extract_event_timestamp(event)
        if timestamp:
            try:
                event_dt = parse_timestamp(timestamp)
                event_iso = event_dt.isoformat() + 'Z'
                if latest is None or event_iso > latest:
                    latest = event_iso
            except Exception as e:
                print(f"Error parsing event timestamp {timestamp}: {e}")
                continue

    return latest or datetime.utcnow().isoformat() + 'Z'

Second file: requirements.txt:

functions-framework==3.*
google-cloud-storage==2.*
urllib3>=2.0.0

Click Deploy to save and deploy the function.
Wait for deployment to complete (2-3 minutes).

Note: The Pub/Sub trigger configuration automatically creates the necessary subscriptions and permissions.

Create Cloud Scheduler job

Cloud Scheduler publishes messages to the Pub/Sub topic at regular intervals, triggering the Cloud Run function.

In the GCP Console, go to Cloud Scheduler.
Click Create Job.

Provide the following configuration details:

Setting	Value
Name	`beyondtrust-epm-collector-hourly`
Region	Select same region as Cloud Run function
Frequency	`0 * * * *` (every hour, on the hour)
Timezone	Select timezone (UTC recommended)
Target type	Pub/Sub
Topic	Select the topic `beyondtrust-epm-trigger`
Message body	`{}` (empty JSON object)

Click Create.

Schedule frequency options

Choose frequency based on log volume and latency requirements:

Frequency	Cron Expression	Use Case
Every 5 minutes	`/5 * * *`	High-volume, low-latency
Every 15 minutes	`/15 * * *`	Medium volume
Every hour	`0 * * * *`	Standard (recommended)
Every 6 hours	`0 /6 * *`	Low volume, batch processing
Daily	`0 0 * * *`	Historical data collection

Test the scheduler job

In the Cloud Scheduler console, find your job.
Click Force run to trigger manually.
Wait a few seconds and go to Cloud Run > Services > beyondtrust-epm-collector > Logs.
Verify the function executed successfully.
Check the GCS bucket to confirm logs were written.

Retrieve the Google SecOps service account

Google SecOps uses a unique service account to read data from your GCS bucket. You must grant this service account access to your bucket.

Get the service account email

Go to SIEM Settings > Feeds.
Click Add New Feed.
Click Configure a single feed.
In the Feed name field, enter a name for the feed (for example, BeyondTrust EPM logs).
Select Google Cloud Storage V2 as the Source type.
Select BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management as the Log type.
Click Get Service Account. A unique service account email will be displayed, for example:
```
chronicle-12345678@chronicle-gcp-prod.iam.gserviceaccount.com
```
Copy this email address for use in the next step.

Note: Each Google SecOps instance has a unique service account. Do not use service accounts from other documentation or examples.

Grant IAM permissions to the Google SecOps service account

The Google SecOps service account needs Storage Object Viewer role on your GCS bucket.

Go to Cloud Storage > Buckets.
Click your bucket name.
Go to the Permissions tab.
Click Grant access.
Provide the following configuration details:
- Add principals: Paste the Google SecOps service account email.
- Assign roles: Select Storage Object Viewer.
Click Save.

Note: If you plan to use the deletion option "Delete transferred files" or "Delete transferred files and empty directories," grant Storage Object Admin role instead of Storage Object Viewer.

Configure a feed in Google SecOps to ingest BeyondTrust EPM logs

Go to SIEM Settings > Feeds.
Click Add New Feed.
Click Configure a single feed.
In the Feed name field, enter a name for the feed (for example, BeyondTrust EPM logs).
Select Google Cloud Storage V2 as the Source type.
Select BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management as the Log type.
Click Next.
Specify values for the following input parameters:
- Storage bucket URL: Enter the GCS bucket URI with the prefix path:
```
gs://beyondtrust-epm-logs/beyondtrust-epm/
```
  - Replace:
    - beyondtrust-epm-logs: Your GCS bucket name.
    - beyondtrust-epm/: Optional prefix/folder path where logs are stored (leave empty for root).
  - Examples:
    - Root bucket: gs://beyondtrust-epm-logs/
    - With prefix: gs://beyondtrust-epm-logs/beyondtrust-epm/
  Note: Always include the trailing slash (/) at the end of the URI.
- Source deletion option: Select the deletion option according to your preference:
  - Never: Never deletes any files after transfers (recommended for testing).
  - Delete transferred files: Deletes files after successful transfer.
  - Delete transferred files and empty directories: Deletes files and empty directories after successful transfer.
    
    Note: If you select a deletion option, the service account must have Storage Object Admin role instead of Storage Object Viewer. Update IAM permissions accordingly.
- Maximum File Age: Include files modified in the last number of days. Default is 180 days.
- Asset namespace: The asset namespace.
- Ingestion labels: The label to be applied to the events from this feed.
Click Next.
Review your new feed configuration in the Finalize screen, and then click Submit.

UDM mapping table

Log Field	UDM Mapping	Logic
agent.id	principal.asset.attribute.labels.value	Mapped to label with key agent_id
agent.version	principal.asset.attribute.labels.value	Mapped to label with key agent_version
ecs.version	principal.asset.attribute.labels.value	Mapped to label with key ecs_version
event_data.reason	metadata.description	Event description from raw log
event_datas.ActionId	metadata.product_log_id	Product-specific log identifier
file.path	principal.file.full_path	Full file path from the event
headers.content_length	additional.fields.value.string_value	Mapped to label with key content_length
headers.content_type	additional.fields.value.string_value	Mapped to label with key content_type
headers.http_host	additional.fields.value.string_value	Mapped to label with key http_host
headers.http_version	network.application_protocol_version	HTTP protocol version
headers.request_method	network.http.method	HTTP request method
host.hostname	principal.hostname	Principal hostname
host.hostname	principal.asset.hostname	Principal asset hostname
host.ip	principal.asset.ip	Principal asset IP address
host.ip	principal.ip	Principal IP address
host.mac	principal.mac	Principal MAC address
host.os.platform	principal.platform	Set to MAC if equals macOS
host.os.version	principal.platform_version	Operating system version
labels.related_item_id	metadata.product_log_id	Related item identifier
process.command_line	principal.process.command_line	Process command line
process.name	additional.fields.value.string_value	Mapped to label with key process_name
process.parent.name	additional.fields.value.string_value	Mapped to label with key process_parent_name
process.parent.pid	principal.process.parent_process.pid	Parent process PID converted to string
process.pid	principal.process.pid	Process PID converted to string
user.id	principal.user.userid	User identifier
user.name	principal.user.user_display_name	User display name
N/A	metadata.event_timestamp	Event timestamp set to log entry timestamp
N/A	metadata.event_type	GENERIC_EVENT if no principal, otherwise STATUS_UPDATE
N/A	network.application_protocol	Set to HTTP if http_version field contains HTTP

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