Event Manager for IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems) allows you to collect, evaluate, and present data collected by Snort in real-time. By detecting, alerting on, and automatically responding to critical events in real-time, Event Manager for IDS helps indicate and prevent possible intrusions or attacks.

Event Manager for IDS provides embedded expertise so you can proactively manage Snort environments and identify issues before they become critical. Event Manager for IDS gathers events, alerts, and other information for Snort into a secure, central repository that you can monitor from a single console. Monitoring this information from a single console aids the IT team in correlating events to determine the nature of a potential security threat.

Event Manager for IDS highlights events that may indicate external attacks so you can quickly take corrective or preventive actions. For example, Event Manager for IDS enables you to perform the following tasks:

• Detect suspicious logon activity
• Detect high-severity Snort events, such as access attempts to the CGI bin, Unicode directory transversal exploits, or Microsoft SQL Server system administrator login failures
• Monitor your environment from a single console

Supported Products

This release supports the following products:

• Snort version 2.4 or later

Return to Top

Why Install This Module?

Event Manager for IDS provides the following important new capabilities:

• Includes Snort preprocessor rules
• Stores unrecognized syslog events in the log archive under source Generic Syslog
• Improved usability of rules and reports by matching Snort rules more closely

Improvements are made in direct response to suggestions from our customers. We thank you for your time and valuable input. We hope you continue to help us ensure our products meet all your needs.

Return to Top

System Requirements

The following table lists additional requirements for a Windows agent acting as the proxy agent for Snort devices. For more information about agent requirements, see the Installation Guide for NetIQ Security Manager.

Category	Requirement
Processor	1.5 GHz Intel Pentium III or equivalent.
Memory	40 MB minimum. The amount of memory usage varies and depends on the environment, including event rate and other factors. Memory use for a Windows agent monitoring Snort could reach 256 MB or higher.
Operating System	All supported Windows agent platforms.
Software	Ensure you have Security Manager 6.5 or later installed. A Windows agent can monitor one or more Snort devices. For more information about the number of instances one agent can support, see the NetIQ Security Manager Knowledge Base article NETIQKB51404 at www.netiq.com/support/sm/. Install each Windows agent and Snort device on a computer inside the firewall or ensure the firewall allows syslog event through. Use a unique agent for each platform sending syslog events. For example, use separate agents to monitor NetScreen and Snort. Install the Windows agent with Snort support on a separate computer from the database server or central computer.

Return to Top

Installing This Module

Complete the following steps to install this module in a new Security Manager 6.5 installation.

To install this module:

1. Open the Module Installer. Under Event Manager for IDS, the Module Installer lists both a Legacy and a non-Legacy version of the Snort module.
2. Select only the non-Legacy version of the module and click Install.
3. Configure the new module using the Configuration Wizard. For more information about accessing the Configuration Wizard, see the User Guide for NetIQ Security Manager. For more information about how to enter information, click the question mark in the bottom left of the Configuration Wizard to expand a Help window to the right.
4. Configure the Windows agent. For more information, see the Installation Guide for NetIQ Security Manager.
5. Configure the Snort device to communicate with the Windows agent. For more information, see Configuring Snort.

Return to Top

Upgrading This Module

After you have upgraded your existing installation to Security Manager 6.5, complete either step 1 or step 2 in the following procedure to upgrade a previous version of this module.

To upgrade this module:

1. If you have access to reconfigure the Snort devices and have an extra computer on which to install a new Security Manager 6.5 Windows agent, complete the following steps:
1. Install and configure a new Security Manager 6.5 Windows agent to receive syslog messages. For more information, see the Installation Guide for NetIQ Security Manager.
2. Open the Module Installer. Under Event Manager for IDS, the Module Installer lists both a Legacy and a non-Legacy version of the Snort module.
3. Select both the Legacy and non-Legacy versions of this module and click Install. If you do not install the Legacy version of Snort, two instances of Configure the module for Snort will appear in the Support for IDS section of the Configuration Wizard. You will then have to open each instance to see which one is Legacy. When you install both versions, Security Manager renames Configuration Wizard links, existing rule groups, and documentation so you can easily distinguish between legacy items and new items, minimizing confusion.
4. When the modules are installed, open the Configuration Wizard.
5. In the left pane, click Support for IDS.
6. Click Configure the module for Snort.
7. In the left pane, click Agents that monitor Snort.
8. Add the new Security Manager 6.5 Windows agent you just installed.
9. In the left pane, click Snort Devices.
10. Add the Snort devices from which you want the new Windows agent to receive data.
11. Click Finish.
12. Access the Snort devices and reconfigure them to send data to the new Windows agent. For more information, see Configuring Snort.
13. Verify the new Snort computer groups are populated with data.
14. Open the Configuration Wizard.
15. In the left pane, click Support for IDS.
16. Click Configure the module for Snort (Legacy).
17. Remove all agents and devices, disabling the Legacy version of the module.

Warning Ensure you have already reconfigured the Snort devices to forward their syslog events to the new agent before you disable the Legacy version of the module, otherwise you will lose data.

18. Click Finish.
19. In the Schedule Configuration Changes window, select both checkboxes and click OK.
2. If you do not have easy access to reconfigure Snort devices or you do not have an extra computer on which to install a new Security Manager 6.5 Windows agent, complete the following steps:

Note If you do not complete the following steps in a timely manner, it is possible some data collected will be stored as unrecognized syslog events in the log archive under source Generic Syslog.

1. Open the Module Installer. Under Event Manager for IDS, the Module Installer lists both a Legacy and a non-Legacy version of the Snort module.
2. Select both the Legacy and non-Legacy versions of this module and click Install. If you do not install the Legacy version of Snort, two instances of Configure the module for Snort will appear in the Support for IDS section of the Configuration Wizard. You will then have to open each instance to see which one is Legacy. When you install both versions, Security Manager renames Configuration Wizard links, existing rule groups, and documentation so you can easily distinguish between legacy items and new items, minimizing confusion.
3. When the modules are installed, open the Configuration Wizard.
4. In the left pane, click Support for IDS.
5. Click Configure the module for Snort (Legacy).
6. Take note of all settings:
• Agent domains and names
• Device names
• Monitoring settings
7. Clear all entries, disabling the module.
8. Click Finish.
9. In the Schedule Configuration Changes window, ensure both checkboxes are cleared.

Warning Selecting these options will result in data loss as the agents you have removed will stop receiving data from your Snort devices.

10. Click OK.
11. Click Configure the module for Snort.
12. Configure the non-Legacy version of Snort with the settings you recorded earlier from the Legacy version.
13. Click Finish.
14. In the Schedule Configuration Changes window, select both checkboxes and click OK. Selecting both options forces the Legacy module to empty all of its computer groups, causing the version 6.5 module to fill up its computer groups with all of the newly dropped agents and devices.
15. If you want to configure additional Snort devices in your installation, configure the Windows agent and then configure the Snort device. For more information, see Configuring Snort.

Return to Top

Configuring the Module

You can configure the modules with the Configuration Wizard. Add operators to the Security Specialists group to receive notifications from the associated rules. For more information about using the Configuration Wizard, see the User Guide for NetIQ Security Manager.

Ensure the environment is configured such that the modules will be able to resolve the hostname of the Snort device. If you cannot use a static IP address, the DNS must automatically update and consistently resolve the name.

Note By default, agents collect syslog event data from all IP addresses. You can limit the IP addresses from which an agent accepts syslog events by modifying the data provider properties. For more information, see the Programming Guide for NetIQ Security Manager.

Return to Top

Configuring Snort

Snort devices must be properly configured before Event Manager and Log Manager can begin monitoring or collecting logs from them. Intrusion detection systems use different default settings and offer different ways of configuring Snort. The instructions listed in this section include examples that will apply to many products. However, for information about how to configure your Snort environment, see the Snort documentation.

To configure support for Snort:

1. Add the name and IP address of the computer where Snort is installed to the Hosts file on the Windows agent computer. For more information about the Hosts file, see the Windows documentation.
2. On the computer where Snort is installed, ensure the following:
• The snort.conf file allows alerts to be sent the local syslog daemon. For example, your product might require you to enable the following entry:

  output alert_syslog: log_auth log_alert

• Snort sends alerts to the local syslog daemon.
• Snort alerts use the Fast Alert format.
• All Snort rules are installed and enabled.
• The -s command line argument is enabled.
• Snort automatically uses the -s command line argument each time Snort starts.
• Snort sends events to the Windows agent. For example, your product might require you to add the following entry to the syslog.conf file:

auth.* <@agent_IP_address>

Where agent_IP_address identifies the IP address of the Windows agent computer.

3. If you made changes to the syslog.conf file, restart the computer to ensure the syslog daemon correctly applies the changes.

Return to Top

Contact Information

Please contact us with your questions and comments. We look forward to hearing from you.

For detailed contact information, see the Support Contact Information Web site.

Return to Top

Legal Notice

THIS DOCUMENT AND THE SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE FURNISHED UNDER AND ARE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF A LICENSE AGREEMENT OR A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN SUCH LICENSE AGREEMENT OR NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT, NETIQ CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS DOCUMENT AND THE SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN THIS DOCUMENT "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW DISCLAIMERS OF EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES IN CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS; THEREFORE, THIS STATEMENT MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

This document and the software described in this document may not be lent, sold, or given away without the prior written permission of NetIQ Corporation, except as otherwise permitted by law. Except as expressly set forth in such license agreement or non-disclosure agreement, no part of this document or the software described in this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of NetIQ Corporation. Some companies, names, and data in this document are used for illustration purposes and may not represent real companies, individuals, or data.

This document could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein. These changes may be incorporated in new editions of this document. NetIQ Corporation may make improvements in or changes to the software described in this document at any time.

© 2009 NetIQ Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

U.S. Government Restricted Rights: If the software and documentation are being acquired by or on behalf of the U.S. Government or by a U.S. Government prime contractor or subcontractor (at any tier), in accordance with 48 C.F.R. 227.7202-4 (for Department of Defense (DOD) acquisitions) and 48 C.F.R. 2.101 and 12.212 (for non-DOD acquisitions), the government's rights in the software and documentation, including its rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display or disclose the software or documentation, will be subject in all respects to the commercial license rights and restrictions provided in the license agreement.

Check Point, FireWall-1, VPN-1, Provider-1, and SiteManager-1 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

ActiveAgent, ActiveAnalytics, ActiveAudit, ActiveReporting, ADcheck, Aegis, AppAnalyzer, AppManager, the cube logo design, Change Administrator, Change Guardian, Compliance Suite, Directory and Resource Administrator, Directory Security Administrator, Domain Migration Administrator, Exchange Administrator, File Security Administrator, Group Policy Administrator, Group Policy Guardian, Group Policy Suite, IntelliPolicy, Knowing is Everything, Knowledge Scripts, Mission Critical Software for E-Business, MP3check, NetConnect, NetIQ, the NetIQ logo, the NetIQ Partner Network design, Patch Manager, PSAudit, PSDetect, PSPasswordManager, PSSecure, Risk and Compliance Center, Secure Configuration Manager, Security Administration Suite, Security Analyzer, Security Manager, Server Consolidator, VigilEnt, Vivinet, Vulnerability Manager, Work Smarter, and XMP are trademarks or registered trademarks of NetIQ Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other company and product names mentioned are used only for identification purposes and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Return to Top