Collect Tines audit Logs

Supported in:

Google secops SIEM

This document explains how to ingest Tines audit Logs to Google Security Operations using Google Cloud Storage.

Tines is a no-code automation platform that enables security teams to build workflows and automate security operations. Tines Audit Logs provide visibility into user actions, configuration changes, and system events within the Tines platform.

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 Tines

Get the Tines URL

In your browser, open the Tines UI for your tenant.
Copy the domain from the address bar — you'll use it as TINES_BASE_URL.
Format: https://<tenant-domain> (for example, https://<tenant-domain>.tines.com).

Create a Tines Service API key (recommended) or Personal API key

Values to save for later steps:

TINES_BASE_URL — For example, https://<domain>.tines.com
TINES_API_KEY — The token you create in the following steps

Option 1 - Service API key (recommended)

Go to the Navigation menu > API keys.
Click + New key.
Select Service API key.
Enter a descriptive name (for example, SecOps Audit Logs).
Click Create.
Copy the generated token immediately and save it securely — you'll use it as TINES_API_KEY.

Option 2 - Personal API key (if Service keys are not available)

Go to the Navigation menu > API keys.
Click + New key.
Select Personal API key.
Enter a descriptive name.
Click Create.
Copy the generated token and save it securely.

Note: Service API keys are preferred because they're linked to service accounts with specific permissions, rather than inheriting all permissions of a user account.

Grant the Audit Log Read permission

Sign in as a Tenant Owner (or request one to do this).
Go to Settings > Admin > User administration (or click your team name in the upper left menu and select Users).
Find the service account user associated with your Service API key (it will have the same name as your API key). If using a Personal API key, find your own user account instead.
Click the user to open their profile.
In the Tenant permissions section, enable AUDIT_LOG_READ.
Click Save.

Verify permissions

To verify the account has the required permissions:

Sign in to Tines.
Go to Settings > Monitoring > Audit logs.
If you can see audit log entries, you have the required permissions.
If you cannot see this option, contact your Tenant Owner to grant AUDIT_LOG_READ permission.

Test API access

Test your credentials before proceeding with the integration:

# Replace with your actual credentials
TINES_BASE_URL="https://<tenant-domain>.tines.com"
TINES_API_KEY="<your-api-key>"

# Test API access
curl -X GET "${TINES_BASE_URL}/api/v1/audit_logs?per_page=1" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${TINES_API_KEY}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"

You should receive a JSON response with audit log entries.

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, `tines-audit-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.

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 tines-audit-to-gcs-sa.
- Service account description: Enter Service account for Cloud Run function to collect Tines Audit 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, tines-audit-to-gcs-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 tines-audit-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 Tines 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 tines-audit-to-gcs

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 Pub/Sub topic (tines-audit-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 (tines-audit-to-gcs-sa).

Setting	Value
Service name	`tines-audit-to-gcs`
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`	`tines-audit-logs`	GCS bucket name
`GCS_PREFIX`	`tines/audit/`	Prefix for log files
`STATE_KEY`	`tines/audit/state.json`	State file path
`TINES_BASE_URL`	`https://your-tenant.tines.com`	API base URL
`TINES_API_KEY`	`your-tines-api-key`	API key
`LOOKBACK_SECONDS`	`3600`	Initial lookback period
`PAGE_SIZE`	`500`	Records per page
`MAX_PAGES`	`20`	Maximum pages per run
`HTTP_TIMEOUT`	`60`	HTTP request timeout
`HTTP_RETRIES`	`3`	HTTP retry attempts

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 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 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', 'tines/audit/')
STATE_KEY = os.environ.get('STATE_KEY', 'tines/audit/state.json')
TINES_BASE_URL = os.environ.get('TINES_BASE_URL')
TINES_API_KEY = os.environ.get('TINES_API_KEY')
LOOKBACK_SECONDS = int(os.environ.get('LOOKBACK_SECONDS', '3600'))
PAGE_SIZE = int(os.environ.get('PAGE_SIZE', '500'))
MAX_PAGES = int(os.environ.get('MAX_PAGES', '20'))
HTTP_TIMEOUT = int(os.environ.get('HTTP_TIMEOUT', '60'))
HTTP_RETRIES = int(os.environ.get('HTTP_RETRIES', '3'))

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 Tines Audit Logs and write to GCS.

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

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

    try:
        # Get GCS bucket
        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(seconds=LOOKBACK_SECONDS)

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

        # Fetch logs
        records, newest_event_time = fetch_logs(
            api_base=TINES_BASE_URL,
            api_key=TINES_API_KEY,
            start_time=last_time,
            page_size=PAGE_SIZE,
            max_pages=MAX_PAGES,
        )

        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(api_base: str, api_key: str, start_time: datetime, page_size: int, max_pages: int):
    """
    Fetch logs from Tines API with pagination and rate limiting.

    Args:
        api_base: API base URL
        api_key: Tines API key
        start_time: Start time for log query
        page_size: Number of records per page
        max_pages: Maximum pages to fetch

    Returns:
        Tuple of (records list, newest_event_time ISO string)
    """
    base_url = api_base.rstrip('/')
    endpoint = f"{base_url}/api/v1/audit_logs"

    headers = {
        'Authorization': f'Bearer {api_key}',
        'Accept': 'application/json',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        'User-Agent': 'GoogleSecOps-TinesCollector/1.0'
    }

    records = []
    newest_time = None
    page_num = 1
    backoff = 1.0

    while page_num <= max_pages:
        # Build URL with query parameters
        params = {
            'page': page_num,
            'per_page': page_size
        }
        param_str = '&'.join([f"{k}={v}" for k, v in params.items()])
        url = f"{endpoint}?{param_str}"

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

            # 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'))

            # Extract results
            page_results = []
            if isinstance(data, dict):
                page_results = data.get('audit_logs', [])
            elif isinstance(data, list):
                page_results = data

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

            # Filter by start_time
            filtered_results = []
            for event in page_results:
                try:
                    event_time = event.get('created_at')
                    if event_time:
                        event_dt = parse_datetime(event_time)
                        if event_dt >= start_time:
                            filtered_results.append(event)
                            # Track newest event time
                            if newest_time is None or event_dt > parse_datetime(newest_time):
                                newest_time = event_time
                except Exception as e:
                    print(f"Warning: Could not parse event time: {e}")
                    filtered_results.append(event)

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

            # Check for more results
            if isinstance(data, dict):
                meta = data.get('meta', {})
                next_page = meta.get('next_page_number')
                if not next_page:
                    print("No more pages (no next_page_number)")
                    break
                page_num = next_page
            else:
                # If response is a list, check if we got fewer results than requested
                if len(page_results) < page_size:
                    print(f"Reached last page (size={len(page_results)} < limit={page_size})")
                    break
                page_num += 1

        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error fetching logs: {e}")
            if page_num <= HTTP_RETRIES:
                print(f"Retrying... (attempt {page_num}/{HTTP_RETRIES})")
                time.sleep(backoff)
                backoff = min(backoff * 2, 30.0)
                continue
            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).

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	`tines-audit-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 Pub/Sub topic (`tines-audit-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 (tines-audit-hourly).
Click Force run to trigger the job manually.
Wait a few seconds.
Go to Cloud Run > Services.
Click on your function name (tines-audit-to-gcs).
Click the Logs tab.

Verify the function executed successfully. Look for the following:

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://bucket-name/tines/audit/logs_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.ndjson
Successfully processed X records

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

If you see errors in the logs:

HTTP 401: Check API credentials in environment variables
HTTP 403: Verify account has AUDIT_LOG_READ permission
HTTP 429: Rate limiting - function will automatically retry with backoff
Missing environment variables: Check all required variables are set

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, Tines Audit Logs).
Select Google Cloud Storage V2 as the Source type.
Select Tines as the Log type.
Click Get Service Account. A unique service account email is 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 (tines-audit-logs).
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 Tines Audit 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, Tines Audit Logs).
Select Google Cloud Storage V2 as the Source type.
Select Tines 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://tines-audit-logs/tines/audit/
```
  - Replace:
    - tines-audit-logs: Your GCS bucket name.
    - tines/audit/: Prefix/folder path where logs are stored.
  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.

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