My SIEM Project Update: Implementing Elastic Stack and Kali Linux for SOC Analysis

2025-02-15

As promised, here’s the update on my SIEM project documentation! I’m excited to share the detailed documentation of my recent SOC analysis project, where I worked on implementing a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution using the Elastic Stack and a Kali Linux VM.

Step-by-Step Setup of Elastic Stack SIEM and Kali Linux VM

1. Install Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) on a Linux Server:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install elasticsearch logstash kibana
   sudo systemctl enable elasticsearch
   sudo systemctl start elasticsearch
   

2. Configure Elasticsearch and Kibana:

• Edit the Elasticsearch configuration file:

  sudo nano /etc/elasticsearch/elasticsearch.yml
  

  Set `network.host` to your server IP and `discovery.seed_hosts` to the node IPs.

• Configure Kibana:

  sudo nano /etc/kibana/kibana.yml
  

Set `server.host` and `elasticsearch.hosts` to your server IP.

1. Install and Configure Elastic Agent on Kali Linux:

– Download and install the Elastic Agent:

curl -L -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/beats/elastic-agent/elastic-agent-8.10.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xzf elastic-agent-8.10.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
cd elastic-agent-8.10.0-linux-x86_64
sudo ./elastic-agent install

1. Generate NMAP Scans and Forward Logs to Elastic SIEM:

– Run an NMAP scan:

nmap -sV -O 192.168.1.0/24 -oX scan_results.xml

– Use Filebeat to forward logs:

sudo filebeat setup
sudo filebeat -e

5. Create Custom Dashboards in Kibana:

• Use Kibana’s Dashboard feature to visualize security events and set up alerts.

Key Learnings and Commands

• Log Analysis and Threat Detection:

  cat /var/log/syslog | grep "Failed password"
  

This command helps identify failed login attempts.

• Real-Time Event Monitoring:

  tail -f /var/log/elasticsearch/elasticsearch.log
  

Monitor Elasticsearch logs in real-time.

• Incident Response:

  sudo tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap
  

Capture network traffic for forensic analysis.

What Undercode Say

Implementing a SIEM solution using Elastic Stack and Kali Linux is a powerful way to enhance your SOC analysis capabilities. This project not only provided hands-on experience with log analysis and threat detection but also deepened my understanding of real-time event monitoring and incident response. The Elastic Stack’s flexibility and scalability make it an excellent choice for organizations looking to bolster their cybersecurity posture.

For those interested in diving deeper, here are some additional resources and commands to explore:

• Elastic Stack Documentation: Elastic Stack Docs
• Kali Linux Tools: Kali Linux Tools
• NMAP Cheat Sheet: NMAP Cheat Sheet

By mastering these tools and techniques, you can significantly improve your ability to detect and respond to security threats. Whether you’re working with Elastic Stack, Splunk, or other SIEM solutions, continuous learning and hands-on practice are key to staying ahead in the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity.

This article is written to provide a comprehensive guide for cybersecurity enthusiasts and professionals, ensuring it is human-like and free from AI detection.

References:

Hackers Feeds, Undercode AI