Network Security with Netflow and IPFIX: Big Data Analytics for Information Security

• Copyright 2016
• Dimensions: 7-3/8" x 9-1/8"
• Pages: 320
• Edition: 1st

• eBook
• ISBN-10: 0-13-403355-8
• ISBN-13: 978-0-13-403355-6

A comprehensive guide for deploying, configuring, and troubleshooting NetFlow and learning big data analytics technologies for cyber security

Today’s world of network security is full of cyber security vulnerabilities, incidents, breaches, and many headaches. Visibility into the network is an indispensable tool for network and security professionals and Cisco NetFlow creates an environment where network administrators and security professionals have the tools to understand who, what, when, where, and how network traffic is flowing.

Network Security with NetFlow and IPFIX is a key resource for introducing yourself to and understanding the power behind the Cisco NetFlow solution. Omar Santos, a Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) technical leader and author of numerous books including the CCNA Security 210-260 Official Cert Guide, details the importance of NetFlow and demonstrates how it can be used by large enterprises and small-to-medium-sized businesses to meet critical network challenges. This book also examines NetFlow’s potential as a powerful network security tool.

Network Security with NetFlow and IPFIX explores everything you need to know to fully understand and implement the Cisco Cyber Threat Defense Solution. It also provides detailed configuration and troubleshooting guidance, sample configurations with depth analysis of design scenarios in every chapter, and detailed case studies with real-life scenarios.

You can follow Omar on Twitter: @santosomar

• NetFlow and IPFIX basics
• Cisco NetFlow versions and features
• Cisco Flexible NetFlow
• NetFlow Commercial and Open Source Software Packages
• Big Data Analytics tools and technologies such as Hadoop, Flume, Kafka, Storm, Hive, HBase, Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana (ELK)
• Additional Telemetry Sources for Big Data Analytics for Cyber Security
• Understanding big data scalability
• Big data analytics in the Internet of everything
• Cisco Cyber Threat Defense and NetFlow
• Troubleshooting NetFlow
• Real-world case studies

Table of Contents

    Introduction xvi

Chapter 1 Introduction to NetFlow and IPFIX 1

    Introduction to NetFlow 1

        The Attack Continuum 2

        The Network as a Sensor and as an Enforcer 3

        What Is a Flow? 4

    NetFlow Versus IP Accounting and Billing 6

    NetFlow for Network Security 7

        Anomaly Detection and DDoS Attacks 8

        Data Leak Detection and Prevention 9

        Incident Response and Network Security Forensics 9

    Traffic Engineering and Network Planning 14

    IP Flow Information Export 15

        IPFIX Architecture 16

        IPFIX Mediators 17

        IPFIX Templates 17

        Option Templates 19

        Introduction to the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) 19

    Supported Platforms 20

    Introduction to Cisco Cyber Threat Defense 21

    Cisco Application Visibility and Control and NetFlow 22

        Application Recognition 22

        Metrics Collection and Exporting 23

        Management and Reporting Systems 23

        Control 23

    Deployment Scenarios 24

        Deployment Scenario: User Access Layer 24

        Deployment Scenario: Wireless LAN 25

        Deployment Scenario: Internet Edge 26

        Deployment Scenario: Data Center 28

        Public, Private, and Hybrid Cloud Environments 32

        Deployment Scenario: NetFlow in Site-to-Site and Remote VPNs 33

        NetFlow Remote-Access VPNs 33

        NetFlow Site-to-Site VPNs 34

        NetFlow Collection Considerations and Best Practices 35

        Determining the Flows per Second and Scalability 36

    Summary 37

Chapter 2 Cisco NetFlow Versions and Features 39

    NetFlow Versions and Respective Features 39

        NetFlow v1 Flow Header Format and Flow Record Format 40

        NetFlow v5 Flow Header Format and Flow Record Format 41

        NetFlow v7 Flow Header Format and Flow Record Format 42

    NetFlow Version 9 43

    NetFlow and IPFIX Comparison 57

    Summary 57

Chapter 3 Cisco Flexible NetFlow 59

    Introduction to Cisco’s Flexible NetFlow 59

        Simultaneous Application Tracking 60

        Flexible NetFlow Records 61

        Flexible NetFlow Key Fields 61

        Flexible NetFlow Non-Key Fields 63

        NetFlow Predefined Records 65

        User-Defined Records 65

        Flow Monitors 65

        Flow Exporters 65

        Flow Samplers 66

    Flexible NetFlow Configuration 66

        Configure a Flow Record 67

        Configuring a Flow Monitor for IPv4 or IPv6 69

        Configuring a Flow Exporter for the Flow Monitor 71

        Applying a Flow Monitor to an Interface 73

    Flexible NetFlow IPFIX Export Format 74

    Summary 74

Chapter 4 NetFlow Commercial and Open Source Monitoring and Analysis Software Packages 75

    Commercial NetFlow Monitoring and Analysis Software Packages 75

        Lancope’s StealthWatch Solution 76

        Plixer’s Scrutinizer 79

    Open Source NetFlow Monitoring and Analysis Software Packages 80

        NFdump 81

    NfSen 86

        SiLK 86

        SiLK Configuration Files 87

        Filtering, Displaying, and Sorting NetFlow Records with SiLK 87

        SiLK’s Python Extension 88

        Counting, Grouping, and Mating NetFlow Records with Silk 88

        SiLK IPset, Bag, and Prefix Map Manipulation Tools 88

        IP and Port Labeling Files 89

        SiLK Runtime Plug-Ins 89

        SiLK Utilities for Packet Capture and IPFIX Processing 90

        Utilities to Detect Network Scans 90

        SiLK Flow File Utilities 90

        Additional SiLK Utilities 91

        Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana Stack 92

        Elasticsearch 92

        Logstash 92

        Kibana 93

        Elasticsearch Marvel and Shield 94

        ELK Deployment Topology 94

        Installing ELK 95

        Installing Elasticsearch 96

        Install Kibana 105

        Installing Nginx 106

    Install Logstash 107

    Summary 109

Chapter 5 Big Data Analytics and NetFlow 111

    Introduction to Big Data Analytics for Cyber Security 111

        What Is Big Data? 111

        Unstructured Versus Structured Data 112

        Extracting Value from Big Data 113

    NetFlow and Other Telemetry Sources for Big Data Analytics for Cyber Security 114

    OpenSOC 115

        Hadoop 116

        HDFS 117

        Flume 119

        Kafka 120

        Storm 121

        Hive 122

        Elasticsearch 123

        HBase 124

        Third-Party Analytic Tools 125

        Other Big Data Projects in the Industry 126

    Understanding Big Data Scalability: Big Data Analytics in the Internet of Everything 127

    Summary 128

Chapter 6 Cisco Cyber Threat Defense and NetFlow 129

    Overview of the Cisco Cyber Threat Defense Solution 129

    The Attack Continuum 130

        Cisco CTD Solution Components 131

        NetFlow Platform Support 133

        Traditional NetFlow Support in Cisco IOS Software 133

        NetFlow Support in Cisco IOS-XR Software 135

        Flexible NetFlow Support 135

        NetFlow Support in Cisco ASA 140

    Deploying the Lancope StealthWatch System 140

        Deploying StealthWatch FlowCollectors 142

        StealthWatch FlowReplicators 146

        StealthWatch Management Console 146

    Deploying NetFlow Secure Event Logging in the Cisco ASA 148

        Deploying NSEL in Cisco ASA Configured for Clustering 151

        Unit Roles and Functions in Clustering 152

        Clustering NSEL Operations 152

        Configuring NSEL in the Cisco ASA 153

        Configuring NSEL in the Cisco ASA Using ASDM 153

        Configuring NSEL in the Cisco ASA Using the CLI 155

        NSEL and Syslog 156

        Defining the NSEL Export Policy 157

        Monitoring NSEL 159

    Configuring NetFlow in the Cisco Nexus 1000V 160

        Defining a Flow Record 161

        Defining the Flow Exporter 162

        Defining a Flow Monitor 163

        Applying the Flow Monitor to an Interface 164

    Configuring NetFlow in the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series 164

    Configuring the Cisco NetFlow Generation Appliance 166

        Initializing the Cisco NGA 166

        Configuring NetFlow in the Cisco NGA via the GUI 168

        Configuring NetFlow in the Cisco NGA via the CLI 169

    Additional Cisco CTD Solution Components 171

        Cisco ASA 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls and the Cisco ASA with FirePOWER Services 171

        Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention Systems 172

        FireSIGHT Management Center 173

        AMP for Endpoints 173

        AMP for Networks 176

        AMP Threat Grid 176

        Email Security 177

        Email Security Appliance 177

        Cloud Email Security 179

        Cisco Hybrid Email Security 179

        Web Security 180

        Web Security Appliance 180

        Cisco Content Security Management Appliance 184

        Cisco Cloud Web Security 185

        Cisco Identity Services Engine 186

    Summary 187

Chapter 7 Troubleshooting NetFlow 189

    Troubleshooting Utilities and Debug Commands 189

    Troubleshooting NetFlow in Cisco IOS and Cisco IOS XE Devices 194

        Cisco IOS Router Flexible NetFlow Configuration 195

        Troubleshooting Communication Problems with the NetFlow Collector 201

        Additional Useful Troubleshooting Debug and Show Commands 204

        Verifying a Flow Monitor Configuration 204

        Displaying Flow Exporter Templates and Export IDs 207

        Debugging Flow Records 212

        Preventing Export Storms with Flexible NetFlow 213

    Troubleshooting NetFlow in Cisco NX-OS Software 214

    Troubleshooting NetFlow in Cisco IOS-XR Software 217

        Flow Exporter Statistics and Diagnostics 219

        Flow Monitor Statistics and Diagnostics 222

        Displaying NetFlow Producer Statistics in Cisco IOS-XR 226

        Additional Useful Cisco IOS-XR Show Commands 228

    Troubleshooting NetFlow in the Cisco ASA 228

    Troubleshooting NetFlow in the Cisco NetFlow Generation Appliance 235

        Gathering Information About Configured NGA Managed Devices 235

        Gathering Information About the Flow Collector 236

        Gathering Information About the Flow Exporter 237

        Gathering Information About Flow Records 237

        Gathering Information About the Flow Monitor 238

        Show Tech-Support 239

        Additional Useful NGA show Commands 245

    Summary 246

Chapter 8 Case Studies 247

    Using NetFlow for Anomaly Detection and Identifying DoS Attacks 247

        Direct DDoS Attacks 248

        Reflected DDoS Attacks 248

        Amplification Attacks 249

        Identifying DDoS Attacks Using NetFlow 250

        Using NetFlow in Enterprise Networks to Detect DDoS Attacks 250

        Using NetFlow in Service Provider Networks to Detect DDoS Attacks 253

    Using NetFlow for Incident Response and Forensics 254

        Credit Card Theft 254

        Theft of Intellectual Property 259

    Using NetFlow for Monitoring Guest Users and Contractors 262

    Using NetFlow for Capacity Planning 267

    Using NetFlow to Monitor Cloud Usage 269

    Summary 271

TOC, 9781587144387, 8/25/2015

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