Collect Fortra Powertech SIEM Agent logs

Supported in:

Google secops SIEM

Note: This feature is covered by Pre-GA Offerings Terms of the Google Security Operations Service Specific Terms. Pre-GA features might have limited support, and changes to pre-GA features might not be compatible with other pre-GA versions. For more information, see the Google SecOps Technical Support Service guidelines and the Google SecOps Service Specific Terms.

This guide explains how you can ingest Fortra Powertech SIEM Agent for IBM i logs to Google Security Operations using Bindplane agent.

Powertech SIEM Agent for IBM i (formerly Powertech Interact) monitors IBM i journals and message queues for critical system messages and audit entries, transmits the messages using UDP, TCP, TLS, message queue, or stream file (IFS), and formats the MSG portion of the syslog packet in compliance with Micro Focus ArcSight Common Event Format (CEF) v25.

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• Google SecOps instance.
• Windows Server 2016 or later, or Linux host with systemd.
• Network connectivity between Bindplane agent and the IBM i system running Powertech SIEM Agent.
• If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements.
• Privileged access to the IBM i system with authority to configure Powertech SIEM Agent (user profile with *ALLOBJ special authority or member of PTADMIN authorization list).
• Powertech SIEM Agent for IBM i installed and licensed on the IBM i system.

Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file

1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
2. Go to SIEM Settings > Collection Agent.
3. Click Download to download the ingestion authentication file.

4. Save the file securely on the system where Bindplane agent will be installed.

   Note: This JSON file contains credentials for authenticating the Bindplane agent to Google SecOps.

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.

   Note: The customer ID is required for configuring the Bindplane agent exporter.

Install Bindplane agent

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

Windows installation

1. Open 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
   

3. Wait for the installation to complete.

4. Verify the installation by running:

   sc query observiq-otel-collector
   

   The service should show as RUNNING.

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
   

3. Wait for the installation to complete.

4. Verify the installation by running:

   sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector
   

   The service should show as active (running).

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options and troubleshooting, see Bindplane agent installation guide.

Configure Bindplane agent to ingest syslog and send to Google SecOps

Locate the configuration file

Linux:

sudo nano /etc/bindplane-agent/config.yaml

Windows:

notepad "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\config.yaml"

Edit the configuration file

Replace the entire contents of config.yaml with the following configuration:

receivers:
    udplog:
    listen_address: "0.0.0.0:514"

exporters:
    chronicle/powertech_siem:
    compression: gzip
    creds_file_path: '/etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json'
    customer_id: 'YOUR_CUSTOMER_ID'
    endpoint: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
    log_type: FORTRA_POWERTECH_SIEM_AGENT
    raw_log_field: body
    ingestion_labels:
        env: production

service:
    pipelines:
    logs/powertech_to_chronicle:
        receivers:
        - udplog
        exporters:
        - chronicle/powertech_siem

Configuration parameters

Replace the following placeholders:

Receiver configuration:

• listen_address: IP address and port to listen on. Use 0.0.0.0:514 to listen on all interfaces on port 514, or change the port to 1514 or another value if port 514 requires root privileges or is already in use.

Exporter configuration:

• creds_file_path: Full path to ingestion authentication file:
  • Linux: /etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json
  • Windows: C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\ingestion-auth.json
• YOUR_CUSTOMER_ID: Replace with your Google SecOps customer ID.
• endpoint: Regional endpoint URL. Use the appropriate endpoint for your Google SecOps instance:
  • US: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  • Europe: europe-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  • Asia: asia-southeast1-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  • See Regional Endpoints for complete list.
• ingestion_labels: Optional labels in YAML format (for example, env: production, source: ibm_i).

Save the configuration file

After editing, save the file:

• Linux: Press Ctrl+O, then Enter, then Ctrl+X
• Windows: Click File > Save

Restart Bindplane agent to apply the changes

• Linux

  sudo systemctl restart observiq-otel-collector
  

  1. Verify the service is running:

     sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector
     

  2. Check logs for errors:

     sudo journalctl -u observiq-otel-collector -f
     

• Windows

  Choose one of the following options:

  • Using Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator:

    net stop observiq-otel-collector && net start observiq-otel-collector
    

  • Using Services console:

    1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
    2. Locate observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector.

    3. Right-click and select Restart.

    4. Verify the service is running:

       sc query observiq-otel-collector
       

    5. Check logs for errors:

       type "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\log\collector.log"
       

Configure Powertech SIEM Agent syslog forwarding

On the IBM i command line, enter POWERTECH to open the Powertech Main Menu, then choose Option 6 to open the SIEM Agent Main Menu.

Configure the syslog format

From the SIEM Agent Main Menu, choose option 2 to open the Work with Formats panel. CEF, JSON, LEEF, MODERN, and SYSLOG Formats are included by default.

1. Type 2 next to SYSLOG and press Enter.
2. In the Message Style field, type *SYSLOG.
3. In the Header specification field type RFC3164.
4. Ensure that Use Header Format Compatibility is set to 'Y' and save the configuration.

5. Press F3 twice to return to the Main Menu.

   Note: The Format object specifies the compliance level of the syslog header: RFC3164 or RFC541. RFC 5424 is the recommended header specification.

Create a network output

From the Main Menu, choose option 3 Work with Outputs, then press F6 to create a new output.

1. Enter the following options:
   • Name: CHRONICLE (or a descriptive name)
   • Description: Chronicle Bindplane Output
   • Active: 1
   • Format: SYSLOG
   • Type: *NETWORK
2. Press Enter.
3. On the subsequent screen, enter these options:
   • Location: Enter the IP address of the machine on which the Bindplane agent is installed
   • Port: 514 (or the port configured in the Bindplane agent)
   • Protocol: UDP

4. Press Enter to save changes, then press F12 to close the window.

   Note: A network location specification could be an IP address, a DNS-defined name, or something completely different, as long as the name can be resolved by your network configuration. The protocol options are UDP, TCP, or TLS.

Attach the output to event sources

Choose option 1 Work with Event Sources, then type 2 next to AUDIT and press Enter.

1. Press F8 Maintain Outputs, then press F6 Attach to attach the recently created output. Type 1 next to CHRONICLE (or your output name) and press Enter.
2. Press F3 to return to the Main Menu.

Activate event descriptions

From the SIEM Agent Main Menu, choose option 1, then enter 9 for an Event Source. The Work with Event Descriptions panel appears. Use option 6 to activate the events you would like to process.

Note: For journal events, also use option 8 to activate the desired subtypes.

Commit configuration changes

From the Main Menu, choose option 82, Work with Utilities, then select option 1, Commit configuration changes.

Start SIEM Agent monitoring

If SIEM Agent is not already running, start the monitor jobs:

1. From the IBM i command line, enter:

   CALL PTSTARTUP
   

2. These commands start the required Central Administration and SIEM Agent monitor jobs in the PTWRKMGT subsystem.

Verify logs are being sent

1. Check that logs are arriving at the Bindplane agent by reviewing the Bindplane agent logs (see the restart section above for log locations).
2. Verify logs are appearing in Google SecOps console (allow 5 to 10 minutes for initial ingestion).
3. Optionally, assign a message queue to log all messages sent by SIEM Agent to confirm which messages have been sent.

UDM mapping table

Log field	UDM mapping	Logic
principal_ip	principal.ip	The IP address of the principal.
dst_ip	target.ip	The IP address of the target.
sourceTranslatedAddress	principal.nat_ip	The NAT IP address of the principal.
destinationTranslatedAddress	target.nat_ip	The NAT IP address of the target.
dvc	about.ip	The IP address of the asset.
deviceTranslatedAddress	about.nat_ip	The NAT IP address of the asset.
smac	principal.mac	The MAC address of the principal.
dmac	target.mac	The MAC address of the target.
dvcmac	about.mac	The MAC address of the asset.
spriv	principal.user.attribute.roles	The roles associated with the principal user.
dpriv	target.user.attribute.roles	The roles associated with the target user.
oldFilePermission	src.resource.attribute.permissions	The permissions of the source resource.
filePermission	about.resource.attribute.permissions	The permissions of the resource.
cat	security_result.category_details	Additional details about the security result category.
device_vendor, device_product, deviceExternalId	about.asset.asset_id	The unique identifier for the asset.
out	network.sent_bytes	The number of bytes sent in the network connection.
in	network.received_bytes	The number of bytes received in the network connection.
fsize	about.file.size	The size of the file.
oldFileSize	src.file.size	The size of the source file.
destinationTranslatedPort	target.nat_port	The NAT port of the target.
dpt	target.port	The port number of the target.
sourceTranslatedPort	principal.nat_port	The NAT port of the principal.
spt	principal.port	The port number of the principal.
rt	metadata.event_timestamp	The timestamp when the event occurred.
severity	security_result.severity	The severity level of the security result.
app_protocol_src	network.application_protocol	The application protocol used in the network connection.
proto	network.ip_protocol	The IP protocol used in the network connection.
deviceDirection	network.direction	The direction of the network traffic.
act	security_result.action	The action taken by the security system.
outcome, categoryOutcome, cs2	security_result.action	The action taken by the security system.
msg_data_2	security_result.description	A description of the security result.
msg	metadata.description	A description of the event.
destinationServiceName	target.application	The application associated with the target.
dntdom	target.administrative_domain	The administrative domain of the target.
oldFilePath	src.file.full_path	The full path of the source file.
requestClientApplication	network.http.user_agent	The user agent string from the HTTP request.
requestMethod	network.http.method	The HTTP method used in the request.
filePath	about.file.full_path	The full path of the file.
dvchost	about.hostname	The hostname of the asset.
deviceNtDomain	about.administrative_domain	The administrative domain of the asset.
dvcpid	about.process.pid	The process ID of the asset.
deviceProcessName	about.process.command_line	The command line of the process on the asset.
_hash	about.file.sha256	The SHA256 hash of the file.
externalId	metadata.product_log_id	The product-specific log identifier.
security_result.action_details	security_result.action_details	Additional details about the security action.
device_version	metadata.product_version	The version of the product that generated the event.
temp_dhost	target.hostname	The hostname of the target.
request	target.url	The URL associated with the target.
temp_duser	target.user.user_display_name	The display name of the target user.
temp_duid	target.user.userid	The user ID of the target user.
Device_name	principal.hostname	The hostname of the principal.
Enhetsnavn	principal.hostname	The hostname of the principal.
Domain	principal.administrative_domain	The administrative domain of the principal.
Domene	principal.administrative_domain	The administrative domain of the principal.
Group_name	principal.group.group_display_name	The display name of the principal group.
Gruppenavn	principal.group.group_display_name	The display name of the principal group.
Received, Mottatt	metadata.collected_timestamp	The timestamp when the event was collected.
Generated, Generert	metadata.event_timestamp	The timestamp when the event occurred.
Subject	about.process.command_line	The command line of the process.
Emne	about.process.command_line	The command line of the process.
Path	about.process.command_line	The command line of the process.
Type	security_result.description	A description of the security result.
Scan_Type	security_result.description	A description of the security result.
User	target.user.userid	The user ID of the target user.
Bruker	target.user.userid	The user ID of the target user.
CustomerName	target.user.user_display_name	The display name of the target user.
File_name, Object, Objekt, Infected_Resource	target.process.file.full_path	The full path of the file associated with the target process.
Action_Taken	security_result.action_details	Additional details about the security action.
Spyware, Virus_Malware_Name, Unknown_Threat	security_result.threat_name	The name of the threat detected.
shost	principal.hostname	The hostname of the principal.
shost	principal.ip	The IP address of the principal.
sntdom	principal.administrative_domain	The administrative domain of the principal.
sourceServiceName	principal.application	The application associated with the principal.
spid	principal.process.pid	The process ID of the principal.
sproc	principal.process.command_line	The command line of the principal process.
suid	principal.user.userid	The user ID of the principal user.
suser	principal.user.user_display_name	The display name of the principal user.
dpid	target.process.pid	The process ID of the target process.
dproc	target.process.command_line	The command line of the target process.
reason	security_result.summary	A summary of the security result.
event_name, device_event_class_id	metadata.product_event_type	The product-specific event type.
fileHash	about.file.sha256	The SHA256 hash of the file.
about	about	Additional information about the event.
mwProfile	security_result.rule_name	The name of the rule that triggered the security result.
appcategory	security_result.summary	A summary of the security result.
Result	security_result.summary	A summary of the security result.
eventid	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
eventId	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
devicePayloadId	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
fname	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cs1, cs1Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cs2, cs2Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cs3, cs3Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cs4, cs4Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cs5, cs5Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cs6, cs6Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cs7, cs7Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
flexString1, flexString1Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cn1, cn1Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cn2, cn2Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cn3, cn3Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cfp1, cfp1Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cfp2, cfp2Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cfp3, cfp3Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cfp4, cfp4Label	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
Operation	security_result.detection_fields	Fields used for threat detection.
Operasjon	security_result.detection_fields	Fields used for threat detection.
Permission	security_result.detection_fields	Fields used for threat detection.
Tillatelse	security_result.detection_fields	Fields used for threat detection.
Infection_Channel	security_result.detection_fields	Fields used for threat detection.
IPv6_Address	target.ip	The IP address of the target.
Resource_Type	target.resource.attribute.labels	Labels for the target resource attributes.
Spyware_Grayware_Type	security_result.detection_fields	Fields used for threat detection.
Threat_Probability	security_result.detection_fields	Fields used for threat detection.
security_result	security_result	The security result of the event.
host	principal.hostname	The hostname of the principal.
failure	metadata.description	A description of the event.
changed	metadata.description	A description of the event.
log_version	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
cnt	additional.fields	Additional fields for the event.
fileType	target.file.mime_type	The MIME type of the target file.
fname	target.file.names	The names of the target files.
ip	principal.ip	The IP address of the principal.
metadata.event_type	metadata.event_type	The type of event.
principal_hostname	principal.asset.hostname	The hostname of the principal asset.
principal_asset_hostname	principal.asset.hostname	The hostname of the principal asset.
target_hostname	target.asset.hostname	The hostname of the target asset.
target_asset_hostname	target.asset.hostname	The hostname of the target asset.
device_vendor	metadata.vendor_name	The vendor name of the product.
device_product	metadata.product_name	The product name.

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