Collect Cequence Bot Defense logs

Supported in:

Google secops SIEM

This document explains how to ingest Cequence Bot Defense logs to Google Security Operations using Google Cloud Storage V2.

Cequence Bot Defense is an API security and bot management platform that detects and mitigates automated threats targeting web applications and APIs. It generates logs about bot detection events, policy violations, and traffic analysis through the Cequence Unified API Protection (UAP) REST API.

Before you begin

Make sure 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 the Cequence UAP management console with administrator permissions
A Cequence API key with access to the Bot Defense events API

Create a 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, `cequence-bot-defense-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 Cequence Bot Defense API credentials

Create an API key

Sign in to the Cequence UAP management console.
Navigate to Settings > API Keys (or Administration > API Management).
Click Create API Key or Generate New Key.
Enter a name for the API key (for example, Google Security Operations Integration).
Assign the required permissions:
- Read access to Bot Defense events
- Read access to attack data
Copy and save the API Key value in a secure location.

Note: The API key is displayed only once. If lost, you must generate a new key.

Determine the API base URL

The Cequence API base URL is tenant-specific:

Format	Example
Tenant URL	`https://your-tenant.cequence.ai/api/v2`

Verify API access

Test your credentials before proceeding with the integration:

# Replace with your actual credentials
CEQUENCE_API_KEY="your-api-key"
CEQUENCE_BASE="https://your-tenant.cequence.ai/api/v2"

curl -s -H "X-API-Key: ${CEQUENCE_API_KEY}" \
    "${CEQUENCE_BASE}/botdefense/events?limit=1" | head -c 500

Create a 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 cequence-logs-collector-sa
- Service account description: Enter Service account for Cloud Run function to collect Cequence Bot Defense 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 a GCS bucket

Grant the service account write permissions on the GCS bucket:

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

Create a 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 cequence-logs-trigger
- Leave other settings as default
Click Create.

Create a Cloud Run function to collect logs

The Cloud Run function will be triggered by Pub/Sub messages from Cloud Scheduler to fetch logs from the Cequence UAP REST API and write 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 cequence-logs-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 cequence-logs-trigger.
4. Click Save.
In the Authentication section:
1. Select Require authentication.
2. Check Identity and Access Management (IAM).
Note: Pub/Sub will automatically handle authentication when invoking the function.
Scroll down and expand Containers, Networking, Security.
Go to the Security tab:
- Service account: Select the service account cequence-logs-collector-sa.

Setting	Value
Service name	`cequence-logs-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	Description
`GCS_BUCKET`	`cequence-bot-defense-logs`	GCS bucket name
`GCS_PREFIX`	`cequence`	Prefix for log files
`STATE_KEY`	`cequence/state.json`	State file path
`CEQUENCE_API_BASE`	`https://your-tenant.cequence.ai/api/v2`	Cequence API base URL
`CEQUENCE_API_KEY`	`your-api-key`	Cequence API key
`MAX_RECORDS`	`5000`	Max records per run
`PAGE_SIZE`	`1000`	Records per page
`LOOKBACK_HOURS`	`24`	Initial lookback period

In the Variables & Secrets section, scroll down to Requests:
- Request timeout: Enter 600 seconds (10 minutes)
Go to the Settings tab:
- In the Resources section:
  - Memory: Select 512 MiB or higher
  - CPU: Select 1
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 will open automatically.

Add function code

Enter main in the Entry point field.

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 with timeouts
http = urllib3.PoolManager(
  timeout=urllib3.Timeout(connect=5.0, read=30.0),
  retries=False,
)

# Initialize Storage client
storage_client = storage.Client()

# Environment variables
GCS_BUCKET = os.environ.get('GCS_BUCKET')
GCS_PREFIX = os.environ.get('GCS_PREFIX', 'cequence')
STATE_KEY = os.environ.get('STATE_KEY', 'cequence/state.json')
CEQUENCE_API_BASE = os.environ.get('CEQUENCE_API_BASE')
CEQUENCE_API_KEY = os.environ.get('CEQUENCE_API_KEY')
MAX_RECORDS = int(os.environ.get('MAX_RECORDS', '5000'))
PAGE_SIZE = int(os.environ.get('PAGE_SIZE', '1000'))
LOOKBACK_HOURS = int(os.environ.get('LOOKBACK_HOURS', '24'))

def to_unix_millis(dt: datetime) -> int:
  """Convert datetime to Unix epoch milliseconds."""
  if dt.tzinfo is None:
    dt = dt.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
  dt = dt.astimezone(timezone.utc)
  return int(dt.timestamp() * 1000)

def parse_datetime(value: str) -> datetime:
  """Parse ISO datetime string to datetime object."""
  if value.endswith("Z"):
    value = value[:-1] + "+00:00"
  return datetime.fromisoformat(value)

@functions_framework.cloud_event
def main(cloud_event):
  """
  Cloud Run function triggered by Pub/Sub to fetch Cequence Bot Defense
  event logs and write to GCS.

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

  if not all([GCS_BUCKET, CEQUENCE_API_BASE, CEQUENCE_API_KEY]):
    print('Error: Missing required environment variables')
    return

  try:
    bucket = storage_client.bucket(GCS_BUCKET)

    # Load state
    state = load_state(bucket, STATE_KEY)

    # Determine time window
    now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
    last_time = None

    if isinstance(state, dict) and state.get("last_event_time"):
      try:
        last_time = parse_datetime(state["last_event_time"])
        # Overlap by 2 minutes to catch any delayed events
        last_time = last_time - timedelta(minutes=2)
      except Exception as e:
        print(f"Warning: Could not parse last_event_time: {e}")

    if last_time is None:
      last_time = now - timedelta(hours=LOOKBACK_HOURS)

    print(f"Fetching logs from {last_time.isoformat()} to {now.isoformat()}")

    # Fetch logs
    records, newest_event_time = fetch_logs(
      start_time=last_time,
      end_time=now,
      page_size=PAGE_SIZE,
      max_records=MAX_RECORDS,
    )

    if not records:
      print("No new log records found.")
      save_state(bucket, STATE_KEY, now.isoformat())
      return

    # Write to GCS as NDJSON
    timestamp = now.strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')
    object_key = f"{GCS_PREFIX}/logs_{timestamp}.ndjson"
    blob = bucket.blob(object_key)

    ndjson = '\n'.join([json.dumps(record, ensure_ascii=False) for record in records]) + '\n'
    blob.upload_from_string(ndjson, content_type='application/x-ndjson')

    print(f"Wrote {len(records)} records to gs://{GCS_BUCKET}/{object_key}")

    # Update state with newest event time
    if newest_event_time:
      save_state(bucket, STATE_KEY, newest_event_time)
    else:
      save_state(bucket, STATE_KEY, now.isoformat())

    print(f"Successfully processed {len(records)} records")

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

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: {e}")

  return {}

def save_state(bucket, key, last_event_time_iso: str):
  """Save the last event timestamp to GCS state file."""
  try:
    state = {'last_event_time': last_event_time_iso}
    blob = bucket.blob(key)
    blob.upload_from_string(
      json.dumps(state, indent=2),
      content_type='application/json'
    )
    print(f"Saved state: last_event_time={last_event_time_iso}")
  except Exception as e:
    print(f"Warning: Could not save state: {e}")

def fetch_logs(start_time: datetime, end_time: datetime, page_size: int, max_records: int):
  """
  Fetch bot defense event logs from Cequence UAP REST API
  with pagination and rate limiting.

  Args:
    start_time: Start time for log query
    end_time: End time for log query
    page_size: Number of records per page
    max_records: Maximum total records to fetch

  Returns:
    Tuple of (records list, newest_event_time ISO string)
  """
  api_base = CEQUENCE_API_BASE.rstrip('/')
  endpoint = f"{api_base}/botdefense/events"

  headers = {
    'X-API-Key': CEQUENCE_API_KEY,
    'Accept': 'application/json',
    'User-Agent': 'GoogleSecOps-CequenceCollector/1.0'
  }

  records = []
  newest_time = None
  page_num = 0
  backoff = 1.0
  offset = 0

  while True:
    page_num += 1

    if len(records) >= max_records:
      print(f"Reached max_records limit ({max_records})")
      break

    # Build query parameters
    params = {
      'startTime': start_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ'),
      'endTime': end_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ'),
      'limit': min(page_size, max_records - len(records)),
      'offset': offset
    }

    query_string = '&'.join(f"{k}={v}" for k, v in params.items())
    url = f"{endpoint}?{query_string}"

    try:
      response = http.request(
        'GET',
        url,
        headers=headers
      )

      # Handle rate limiting with exponential backoff
      if response.status == 429:
        retry_after = int(response.headers.get('Retry-After', str(int(backoff))))
        print(f"Rate limited (429). Retrying after {retry_after}s...")
        time.sleep(retry_after)
        backoff = min(backoff * 2, 30.0)
        continue

      backoff = 1.0

      if response.status != 200:
        print(f"HTTP Error: {response.status}")
        response_text = response.data.decode('utf-8')
        print(f"Response body: {response_text}")
        return [], None

      data = json.loads(response.data.decode('utf-8'))

      page_results = data.get('events', data.get('results', data.get('data', [])))

      if not page_results:
        print(f"No more results (empty page)")
        break

      print(f"Page {page_num}: Retrieved {len(page_results)} events")
      records.extend(page_results)

      # Track newest event time
      for event in page_results:
        try:
          event_ts = event.get('timestamp') or event.get('created') or event.get('eventTime')
          if event_ts:
            if isinstance(event_ts, (int, float)):
              event_dt = datetime.fromtimestamp(event_ts / 1000, tz=timezone.utc)
              event_time = event_dt.isoformat()
            else:
              event_time = str(event_ts)
            if newest_time is None or parse_datetime(event_time) > parse_datetime(newest_time):
              newest_time = event_time
        except Exception as e:
          print(f"Warning: Could not parse event time: {e}")

      # Check for more results
      offset += len(page_results)
      if len(page_results) < page_size:
        print("No more pages (partial page received)")
        break

    except Exception as e:
      print(f"Error fetching logs: {e}")
      return [], None

  print(f"Retrieved {len(records)} total records from {page_num} pages")
  return records, newest_time

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 a Cloud Scheduler job

Cloud Scheduler will publish 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	`cequence-logs-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 `cequence-logs-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 integration

In the Cloud Scheduler console, find your job.
Click Force run to trigger the job manually.
Wait a few seconds.
Go to Cloud Run > Services.
Click on cequence-logs-collector.
Click the Logs tab.

Verify the function executed successfully. Look for:

Fetching logs from YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+00:00 to YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+00:00
Page 1: Retrieved X events
Wrote X records to gs://cequence-bot-defense-logs/cequence/logs_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.ndjson
Successfully processed X records

Go to Cloud Storage > Buckets.
Click on your bucket name (cequence-bot-defense-logs).
Navigate to the cequence/ folder.
Verify that a new .ndjson file was created with the current timestamp.

If you see errors in the logs:

HTTP 401: Check API key in environment variables
HTTP 403: Verify API key has required permissions in Cequence UAP console
HTTP 429: Rate limiting - function will automatically retry with backoff
Missing environment variables: Check all required variables are set

Configure a feed in Google SecOps to ingest Cequence Bot Defense 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, Cequence Bot Defense Logs).
Select Google Cloud Storage V2 as the Source type.
Select Cequence Bot Defense 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.

Note: Each Google SecOps instance has a unique service account. Do not use service accounts from other documentation or examples.
Click Next.
Specify values for the following input parameters:
- Storage bucket URL: Enter the GCS bucket URI with the prefix path:
```
gs://cequence-bot-defense-logs/cequence/
```
  - Replace:
    - cequence-bot-defense-logs: Your GCS bucket name.
    - cequence: Optional prefix/folder path where logs are stored (leave empty for root).
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.

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 on 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.

UDM mapping table

Log Field	UDM Mapping	Logic
tag_label, additiondata fields	additional.fields	Merged from tag_label and key-value pairs from additiondata fields
timestamp	metadata.event_timestamp	Parsed as timestamp using ISO8601 or yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ss.SSS format
	metadata.event_type	Set to "GENERIC_EVENT", then to "NETWORK_CONNECTION" if principal_present, target_present, and http_present are true, else to "STATUS_UPDATE" if principal_present is true
x-forwarded-proto	network.application_protocol	Uppercased and brackets removed
method	network.http.method	Uppercased
user_agent	network.http.parsed_user_agent	Parsed user agent string
referer	network.http.referral_url	Value copied directly if not empty or "-"
status_code	network.http.response_code	Value copied directly if not empty
user_agent	network.http.user_agent	Value copied directly if not empty
sessionid	network.session_id	Value copied directly if not empty or "-"
host	principal.asset.hostname	Value copied directly if not empty or "-"
x-forwarded-for, client_ip	principal.asset.ip	Merged from IPs extracted from x-forwarded-for and client_ip
host	principal.hostname	Value copied directly if not empty or "-"
x-forwarded-for, client_ip	principal.ip	Merged from IPs extracted from x-forwarded-for and client_ip
city	principal.location.city	Value copied directly if not empty
country	principal.location.country_or_region	Value copied directly if not empty or "-"
username	principal.user.userid	Value copied directly if not empty or "-"
sec_action	security_result.action	Value copied directly (sec_action set to "ALLOW" if mitigation_action or action matches (?i)allow, else "BLOCK" if matches (?i)block)
action	security_result.action_details	Value copied directly if not empty
confidence	security_result.confidence_details	Converted to string
weight_label, hash_component_label, experimental_label, policy_type_label, additiondata fields	security_result.detection_fields	Merged from weight_label, hash_component_label, experimental_label, policy_type_label, and additiondata fields
ruleinfo.rule_id, policy.id	security_result.rule_id	Value from policy.id if present, else from ruleinfo.rule_id
policy.name	security_result.rule_name	Value copied directly if not empty
policy.type	security_result.rule_type	Value copied directly if not empty
server_ip, x-envoy-external-address	target.asset.ip	Merged from server_ip and IPs extracted from x-envoy-external-address
server_ip, x-envoy-external-address	target.ip	Merged from server_ip and IPs extracted from x-envoy-external-address
uri	target.url	Value copied directly if not empty
	metadata.product_name	Set to "CEQUENCE_BOT_DEFENSE"
	metadata.vendor_name	Set to "CEQUENCE_BOT_DEFENSE"

Need more help? Get answers from Community members and Google SecOps professionals.