Collect IBM Security Identity Manager 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 document explains how to ingest IBM Security Identity Manager logs into Google Security Operations using Google Cloud Storage V2.

IBM Security Identity Manager (ISIM) is an automated and policy-based solution that manages user access across IT environments, helping to drive effective identity management and governance across the enterprise. By using roles, accounts, and access permissions, it automates the creation, modification, recertification, and termination of user identities throughout the user lifecycle. The product is also known as IBM Security Verify Governance - Identity Manager in newer versions.

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 IBM Security Identity Manager REST API
• IBM Security Identity Manager version 7.0.2 or later, or IBM Security Verify Governance 10.0.1 or later
• An ISIM user account with administrative privileges to access the REST API endpoints (/itim/rest/activities and /itim/rest/requests)
• Network connectivity between the GCP project and the ISIM virtual appliance (firewall rules must allow HTTPS traffic on the ISIM port)

Configure IBM Security Identity Manager API access

To enable Google SecOps to retrieve activity and request audit data, you need to configure a dedicated service account in ISIM with the required permissions for REST API access.

Create a dedicated ISIM account for API access

1. Sign in to the IBM Security Identity Manager administration console.
2. Go to Manage Users > Create User.
3. Create a new user account for the integration (for example, secops-api-user).
4. Assign the System Administrator role or a custom role that includes permissions to view activities and requests through the REST API.
5. Save the account credentials securely:
   • Username: The ISIM login username (for example, secops-api-user)
   • Password: The ISIM login password

Identify your ISIM API base URL

• Your ISIM API base URL follows this format:

  https://<isim-hostname>:<port>
  

• For example, if your ISIM virtual appliance hostname is isim.example.com and it uses the default HTTPS port:

  https://isim.example.com:9082
  

  Note: The default port for ISIM is typically 9082 for HTTPS. Consult your ISIM administrator if you are unsure of the correct hostname and port.

Test API access

• Test your credentials before proceeding with the integration:

  # Replace with your actual credentials and ISIM URL
  ISIM_BASE_URL="https://isim.example.com:9082"
  ISIM_USER="chronicle-api-user"
  ISIM_PASS="your-password"
  
  # Authenticate and obtain session cookie
  curl -v -k -c cookies.txt \
      -d "j_username=${ISIM_USER}&j_password=${ISIM_PASS}" \
      "${ISIM_BASE_URL}/itim/j_security_check"
  
  # Retrieve CSRF token from systemusers/me endpoint
  curl -v -k -b cookies.txt \
      -H "Accept: application/json" \
      "${ISIM_BASE_URL}/itim/rest/systemusers/me"
  
  # Test activities endpoint
  curl -v -k -b cookies.txt \
      -H "Accept: application/json" \
      "${ISIM_BASE_URL}/itim/rest/activities"
  

A successful response returns a JSON array of recent ISIM activities.

Create Google Cloud Storage bucket

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

5. Provide the following configuration details:

   Setting	Value
   Name your bucket	Enter a globally unique name (for example, ibm-sim-logs-gcs)
   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

6. Click Create.

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

1. In the GCP Console, go to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts.
2. Click Create Service Account.
3. Provide the following configuration details:
   • Service account name: Enter ibm-sim-collector-sa
   • Service account description: Enter Service account for Cloud Run function to collect IBM Security Identity Manager logs
4. Click Create and Continue.
5. 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.
6. Click Continue.
7. 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:

1. Go to Cloud Storage > Buckets.
2. Click on your bucket name (ibm-sim-logs-gcs).
3. Go to the Permissions tab.
4. Click Grant access.
5. Provide the following configuration details:
   • Add principals: Enter the service account email (ibm-sim-collector-sa@PROJECT_ID.iam.gserviceaccount.com)
   • Assign roles: Select Storage Object Admin
6. 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.

1. In the GCP Console, go to Pub/Sub > Topics.
2. Click Create topic.
3. Provide the following configuration details:
   • Topic ID: Enter ibm-sim-logs-trigger
   • Leave other settings as default
4. Click Create.

Create 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 IBM Security Identity Manager REST API and write them to GCS.

To create Cloud Run function to collect logs, do the following:

1. In the GCP Console, go to Cloud Run.
2. Click Create service.
3. Select Function (use an inline editor to create a function).

4. In the Configure section, provide the following configuration details:

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

5. In the Trigger (optional) section:

   1. Click + Add trigger.
   2. Select Cloud Pub/Sub.
   3. In Select a Cloud Pub/Sub topic, choose ibm-sim-logs-trigger.
   4. Click Save.

6. 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.

7. Scroll down and expand Containers, Networking, Security.

8. Go to the Security tab:

   • Service account: Select ibm-sim-collector-sa

9. Go to the Containers tab:

   1. Click Variables & Secrets.

   2. Click + Add variable for each environment variable:

      Variable name	Example value	Description
      GCS_BUCKET	ibm-sim-logs-gcs	GCS bucket name
      GCS_PREFIX	ibm-sim	Prefix for log files
      STATE_KEY	ibm-sim/state.json	State file path
      ISIM_BASE_URL	https://isim.example.com:9082	ISIM server base URL
      ISIM_USERNAME	secops-api-user	ISIM API username
      ISIM_PASSWORD	your-password	ISIM API password
      LOOKBACK_HOURS	24	Initial lookback period
      PAGE_SIZE	100	Records per API page
      MAX_RECORDS	5000	Max records per run

10. In the Variables & Secrets section, scroll down to Requests:

    • Request timeout: Enter 600 seconds (10 minutes)

11. Go to the Settings tab:

    • In the Resources section:
      • Memory: Select 512 MiB or higher
      • CPU: Select 1

12. In the Revision scaling section:

    • Minimum number of instances: Enter 0
    • Maximum number of instances: Enter 100

13. Click Create.

14. Wait for the service to be created (1-2 minutes).

15. After the service is created, the inline code editor will open automatically.

Add function code

1. Enter main in the Entry point field.

2. In the inline code editor, create two files:

   • main.py:

     import functions_framework
     from google.cloud import storage
     import json
     import os
     import urllib3
     import urllib.parse
     from datetime import datetime, timezone, timedelta
     
     # Disable SSL warnings for self-signed certificates
     urllib3.disable_warnings(urllib3.exceptions.InsecureRequestWarning)
     
     http = urllib3.PoolManager(
         timeout=urllib3.Timeout(connect=10.0, read=60.0),
         retries=False,
         cert_reqs='CERT_NONE',
     )
     
     storage_client = storage.Client()
     
     GCS_BUCKET = os.environ.get('GCS_BUCKET')
     GCS_PREFIX = os.environ.get('GCS_PREFIX', 'ibm-sim')
     STATE_KEY = os.environ.get('STATE_KEY', 'ibm-sim/state.json')
     ISIM_BASE_URL = os.environ.get('ISIM_BASE_URL', '').rstrip('/')
     ISIM_USERNAME = os.environ.get('ISIM_USERNAME')
     ISIM_PASSWORD = os.environ.get('ISIM_PASSWORD')
     LOOKBACK_HOURS = int(os.environ.get('LOOKBACK_HOURS', '24'))
     PAGE_SIZE = int(os.environ.get('PAGE_SIZE', '100'))
     MAX_RECORDS = int(os.environ.get('MAX_RECORDS', '5000'))
     
     @functions_framework.cloud_event
     def main(cloud_event):
         if not all([GCS_BUCKET, ISIM_BASE_URL, ISIM_USERNAME, ISIM_PASSWORD]):
             print('Error: Missing required environment variables')
             return
     
         try:
             bucket = storage_client.bucket(GCS_BUCKET)
             state = load_state(bucket)
             now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
     
             if isinstance(state, dict) and state.get('last_event_time'):
                 try:
                     last_val = state['last_event_time']
                     if last_val.endswith('Z'):
                         last_val = last_val[:-1] + '+00:00'
                     last_time = datetime.fromisoformat(last_val)
                     last_time = last_time - timedelta(minutes=2)
                 except Exception as e:
                     print(f"Warning: Could not parse last_event_time: {e}")
                     last_time = now - timedelta(hours=LOOKBACK_HOURS)
             else:
                 last_time = now - timedelta(hours=LOOKBACK_HOURS)
     
             print(f"Fetching logs from {last_time.isoformat()} to {now.isoformat()}")
     
             session_cookies = authenticate()
             csrf_token = get_csrf_token(session_cookies)
     
             activities = fetch_activities(session_cookies, csrf_token, last_time, now)
             requests_data = fetch_requests(session_cookies, csrf_token, last_time, now)
     
             all_records = []
             for a in activities:
                 a['_isim_record_type'] = 'activity'
                 all_records.append(a)
             for r in requests_data:
                 r['_isim_record_type'] = 'request'
                 all_records.append(r)
     
             if not all_records:
                 print("No new records found.")
                 save_state(bucket, now.isoformat())
                 return
     
             timestamp = now.strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')
             object_key = f"{GCS_PREFIX}/ibm_sim_audit_{timestamp}.ndjson"
             blob = bucket.blob(object_key)
     
             ndjson = '\n'.join(
                 [json.dumps(r, ensure_ascii=False, default=str) for r in all_records]
             ) + '\n'
             blob.upload_from_string(ndjson, content_type='application/x-ndjson')
     
             print(f"Wrote {len(all_records)} records to gs://{GCS_BUCKET}/{object_key}")
     
             newest = find_newest_time(all_records)
             save_state(bucket, newest if newest else now.isoformat())
     
             print(f"Successfully processed {len(all_records)} records "
                 f"(activities: {len(activities)}, requests: {len(requests_data)})")
     
         except Exception as e:
             print(f'Error processing logs: {str(e)}')
             raise
     
     def authenticate():
         url = f"{ISIM_BASE_URL}/itim/j_security_check"
         encoded_body = urllib.parse.urlencode({
             'j_username': ISIM_USERNAME,
             'j_password': ISIM_PASSWORD
         }).encode('utf-8')
     
         response = http.request(
             'POST', url,
             body=encoded_body,
             headers={'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'},
             redirect=False
         )
     
         cookies = {}
         set_cookie_headers = response.headers.getlist('Set-Cookie') if hasattr(response.headers, 'getlist') else []
         if not set_cookie_headers:
             raw = response.headers.get('Set-Cookie', '')
             if raw:
                 set_cookie_headers = [raw]
     
         for cookie_header in set_cookie_headers:
             parts = cookie_header.split(';')[0]
             if '=' in parts:
                 name, value = parts.split('=', 1)
                 cookies[name.strip()] = value.strip()
     
         if not cookies:
             raise Exception(
                 f"Authentication failed: no session cookies returned "
                 f"(HTTP {response.status})"
             )
     
         print("Successfully authenticated to ISIM")
         return cookies
     
     def get_csrf_token(cookies):
         url = f"{ISIM_BASE_URL}/itim/rest/systemusers/me"
         cookie_str = '; '.join([f"{k}={v}" for k, v in cookies.items()])
     
         response = http.request(
             'GET', url,
             headers={
                 'Accept': 'application/json',
                 'Cookie': cookie_str
             }
         )
     
         if response.status != 200:
             raise Exception(
                 f"Failed to get CSRF token: {response.status} - "
                 f"{response.data.decode('utf-8')}"
             )
     
         data = json.loads(response.data.decode('utf-8'))
         csrf_token = None
     
         if isinstance(data, dict):
             csrf_token = data.get('_csrf', data.get('CSRFToken'))
         if not csrf_token:
             csrf_header = response.headers.get('CSRFToken', '')
             if csrf_header:
                 csrf_token = csrf_header
     
         print("Successfully retrieved CSRF token")
         return csrf_token
     
     def fetch_activities(cookies, csrf_token, start_time, end_time):
         url = f"{ISIM_BASE_URL}/itim/rest/activities"
         cookie_str = '; '.join([f"{k}={v}" for k, v in cookies.items()])
     
         headers = {
             'Accept': 'application/json',
             'Cookie': cookie_str
         }
         if csrf_token:
             headers['CSRFToken'] = csrf_token
     
         all_records = []
         start_index = 0
     
         while len(all_records) < MAX_RECORDS:
             params = {
                 '_start': str(start_index),
                 '_count': str(min(PAGE_SIZE, MAX_RECORDS - len(all_records)))
             }
             query_string = urllib.parse.urlencode(params)
             request_url = f"{url}?{query_string}"
     
             response = http.request('GET', request_url, headers=headers)
     
             if response.status != 200:
                 print(f"Activities query failed: {response.status} - "
                     f"{response.data.decode('utf-8')}")
                 break
     
             page_results = json.loads(response.data.decode('utf-8'))
     
             if isinstance(page_results, dict):
                 page_results = page_results.get('activities', page_results.get('items', []))
     
             if not page_results:
                 break
     
             all_records.extend(page_results)
             print(f"Activities: Retrieved {len(page_results)} records "
                 f"(total: {len(all_records)})")
     
             if len(page_results) < PAGE_SIZE:
                 break
     
             start_index += len(page_results)
     
         print(f"Total activities fetched: {len(all_records)}")
         return all_records
     
     def fetch_requests(cookies, csrf_token, start_time, end_time):
         url = f"{ISIM_BASE_URL}/itim/rest/requests"
         cookie_str = '; '.join([f"{k}={v}" for k, v in cookies.items()])
     
         headers = {
             'Accept': 'application/json',
             'Cookie': cookie_str
         }
         if csrf_token:
             headers['CSRFToken'] = csrf_token
     
         all_records = []
         start_index = 0
     
         while len(all_records) < MAX_RECORDS:
             params = {
                 '_start': str(start_index),
                 '_count': str(min(PAGE_SIZE, MAX_RECORDS - len(all_records)))
             }
             query_string = urllib.parse.urlencode(params)
             request_url = f"{url}?{query_string}"
     
             response = http.request('GET', request_url, headers=headers)
     
             if response.status != 200:
                 print(f"Requests query failed: {response.status} - "
                     f"{response.data.decode('utf-8')}")
                 break
     
             page_results = json.loads(response.data.decode('utf-8'))
     
             if isinstance(page_results, dict):
                 page_results = page_results.get('requests', page_results.get('items', []))
     
             if not page_results:
                 break
     
             all_records.extend(page_results)
             print(f"Requests: Retrieved {len(page_results)} records "
                 f"(total: {len(all_records)})")
     
             if len(page_results) < PAGE_SIZE:
                 break
     
             start_index += len(page_results)
     
         print(f"Total requests fetched: {len(all_records)}")
         return all_records
     
     def find_newest_time(records):
         newest = None
         for r in records:
             for field in ['completedTime', 'scheduledTime', 'startedTime',
                         'lastModified', 'requestDate', 'timestamp']:
                 t = r.get(field)
                 if t:
                     try:
                         if isinstance(t, (int, float)):
                             dt = datetime.fromtimestamp(t / 1000, tz=timezone.utc)
                             t_iso = dt.isoformat()
                         else:
                             t_iso = str(t)
                         if newest is None or t_iso > newest:
                             newest = t_iso
                     except Exception:
                         continue
         return newest
     
     def load_state(bucket):
         try:
             blob = bucket.blob(STATE_KEY)
             if blob.exists():
                 return json.loads(blob.download_as_text())
         except Exception as e:
             print(f"Warning: Could not load state: {e}")
         return {}
     
     def save_state(bucket, last_event_time_iso):
         try:
             state = {
                 'last_event_time': last_event_time_iso,
                 'last_run': datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
             }
             blob = bucket.blob(STATE_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}")
     

   • requirements.txt:

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

3. Click Deploy to save and deploy the function.

4. Wait for deployment to complete (2-3 minutes).

Note: The Pub/Sub trigger configuration automatically creates the necessary subscriptions and permissions. Because ISIM typically uses self-signed certificates, the function disables SSL verification. For production environments, consider importing your ISIM CA certificate into the Cloud Run function.

Create Cloud Scheduler job

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

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

3. Provide the following configuration details:

   Setting	Value
   Name	ibm-sim-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 ibm-sim-logs-trigger
   Message body	{} (empty JSON object)

4. 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

1. In the Cloud Scheduler console, find your job (ibm-sim-collector-hourly).
2. Click Force run to trigger the job manually.
3. Wait a few seconds.
4. Go to Cloud Run > Services.
5. Click on ibm-sim-collector.
6. Click the Logs tab.

7. 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
   Successfully authenticated to ISIM
   Successfully retrieved CSRF token
   Activities: Retrieved X records (total: X)
   Requests: Retrieved X records (total: X)
   Wrote X records to gs://ibm-sim-logs-gcs/ibm-sim/ibm_sim_audit_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.ndjson
   Successfully processed X records (activities: X, requests: X)
   

8. Go to Cloud Storage > Buckets.

9. Click on ibm-sim-logs-gcs.

10. Navigate to the ibm-sim/ folder.

11. Verify that a new .ndjson file was created with the current timestamp.

If you see errors in the logs:

• HTTP 401/302: Verify the ISIM_USERNAME and ISIM_PASSWORD environment variables are correct and the user account is not locked
• HTTP 403: Verify the ISIM user account has administrator privileges for REST API access
• HTTP 404: Verify the ISIM_BASE_URL is correct and includes the proper port number
• Connection errors: Verify network connectivity between the Cloud Run function and the ISIM virtual appliance
• Missing environment variables: Verify all required variables are set in the Cloud Run function configuration

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

1. Go to SIEM Settings > Feeds.
2. Click Add New Feed.
3. Click Configure a single feed.
4. In the Feed name field, enter a name for the feed (for example, IBM SIM Logs GCS).
5. Select Google Cloud Storage V2 as the Source type.
6. Select IBM Security Identity Manager as the Log type.

7. Click Get Service Account. A unique service account email will be displayed, for example:

   [e-mail]
   

8. Copy this email address for use in the next step.

   Note: Each Google SecOps instance has a unique service account. Don't use service accounts from other documentation or examples.

9. Click Next.

10. Specify values for the following input parameters:

    • Storage bucket URL: Enter the GCS bucket URI with the prefix path:

      gs://ibm-sim-logs-gcs/ibm-sim/
      

    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

11. Click Next.

12. 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.

To grant IAM permissions to the Google SecOps service account, do the following:

1. Go to Cloud Storage > Buckets.
2. Click on ibm-sim-logs-gcs.
3. Go to the Permissions tab.
4. Click Grant access.
5. Provide the following configuration details:
   • Add principals: Paste the Google SecOps service account email
   • Assign roles: Select Storage Object Viewer
6. 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.

UDM mapping table

Log field	UDM mapping	Logic
description	metadata.description	Description of the event
receivedTime	metadata.event_timestamp	Timestamp when the event occurred
metadata.event_type	metadata.event_type	Type of event
version	metadata.product_version	Product version
connectionId	network.session_id	Session identifier
tls	network.tls.version	TLS version
ip	principal.asset.ip	IP address of the asset
hostname	principal.hostname	Hostname
ip	principal.ip	IP address
port	principal.port	Port number
kv_data	principal.user.attribute.labels	User attribute labels
action	security_result.action_details	Details of the action taken
metadata.product_name	metadata.product_name	Product name
metadata.vendor_name	metadata.vendor_name	Vendor name

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