Collect Zscaler NSS Feeds for Alerts logs

Supported in:

Google secops SIEM

This document explains how to ingest Zscaler NSS Feeds for Alerts logs to Google Security Operations using the Bindplane agent.

Zscaler Nanolog Streaming Service (NSS) delivers cloud security alert logs for web, firewall, and DLP events. NSS streams logs from the Zscaler cloud to a designated destination using either Cloud NSS (cloud-native) or NSS VM (on-premises virtual appliance).

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

A Google SecOps instance
Windows Server 2016 or later, or Linux host with systemd
Network connectivity between the Bindplane agent and the Zscaler NSS output
If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements
Privileged access to the Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) admin portal
A configured Zscaler NSS server or NSS for Cloud with permissions to stream logs

Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file

Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
Go to SIEM Settings > Collection Agents.
Download the Ingestion Authentication File. Save the file securely on the system where Bindplane will be installed.

Note: This JSON file contains credentials for authenticating the Bindplane agent to Google SecOps.

Get Google SecOps customer ID

Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
Go to SIEM Settings > Profile.
Copy and save the Customer ID from the Organization Details section.

Note: The customer ID is required for configuring the Bindplane agent exporter.

Install the Bindplane agent

Install the Bindplane agent on your Windows or Linux operating system according to the following instructions.

Windows installation

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.

Run the following command:

msiexec /i "https://github.com/observIQ/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/observiq-otel-collector.msi" /quiet

Wait for the installation to complete.
Verify the installation by running:
```
sc query observiq-otel-collector
```
The service should show as RUNNING.

Linux installation

Open a terminal with root or sudo privileges.

Run the following command:

sudo sh -c "$(curl -fsSlL https://github.com/observiq/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/install_unix.sh)" install_unix.sh

Wait for the installation to complete.
Verify the installation by running:
```
sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector
```
The service should show as active (running).

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options and troubleshooting, see Bindplane agent installation guide.

Configure Bindplane agent to ingest syslog and send to Google SecOps

Locate the configuration file

Linux:

sudo nano /etc/bindplane-agent/config.yaml

Windows:

notepad "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\config.yaml"

Edit the configuration file

Replace the entire contents of config.yaml with the following configuration:

receivers:
    tcplog:
        listen_address: "0.0.0.0:514"

exporters:
    chronicle/zscaler_nss:
        compression: gzip
        creds_file_path: '/etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json'
        customer_id: '<customer_id>'
        endpoint: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
        log_type: ZSCALER_NSS_FEEDS
        raw_log_field: body

service:
    pipelines:
        logs/zscaler_nss_to_chronicle:
            receivers:
                - tcplog
            exporters:
                - chronicle/zscaler_nss

Configuration parameters

Replace the following placeholders:

Receiver configuration:
- listen_address: IP address and port to listen on:
  - 0.0.0.0 to listen on all interfaces (recommended)
  - Port 514 is the standard syslog port (requires root on Linux; use 1514 for non-root)
Exporter configuration:
- creds_file_path: Full path to ingestion authentication file:
  - Linux: /etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json
  - Windows: C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\ingestion-auth.json
- customer_id: Customer ID copied from the Google SecOps console
- endpoint: Regional endpoint URL:
  - US: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  - Europe: europe-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  - Asia: asia-southeast1-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  - See Regional Endpoints for complete list

Save the configuration file

After editing, save the file:
- Linux: Press Ctrl+O, then Enter, then Ctrl+X
- Windows: Click File > Save

Restart the Bindplane agent to apply the changes

To restart the Bindplane agent in Linux, run the following command:

sudo systemctl restart observiq-otel-collector

Verify the service is running:

sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector

Check logs for errors:

sudo journalctl -u observiq-otel-collector -f

To restart the Bindplane agent in Windows, choose one of the following options:
- Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator:
```
net stop observiq-otel-collector && net start observiq-otel-collector
```
- Services console:
  1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Locate observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector.
  3. Right-click and select Restart.
  4. Verify the service is running:
```
  sc query observiq-otel-collector
```
  5. Check logs for errors:
```
  type "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\log\collector.log"
```

Configure Zscaler NSS syslog forwarding

Zscaler NSS streams logs from the Zscaler cloud to a designated destination. Choose the option that matches your environment.

Option 1: Configure Cloud NSS Feeds (recommended)

Sign in to the Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) admin portal.
Go to Administration > Nanolog Streaming Service > Cloud NSS Feeds.
Click Add Cloud NSS Feed.
Configure the following parameters:
- Feed Name: Enter a descriptive name (for example, NSS-Alerts-to-Chronicle).
- NSS Type: Select the log type: NSS for Alerts.
- SIEM Type: Select Other for generic syslog-based ingestion.
- Status: Select Enabled.
- API URL: Enter the IP address and port of the Bindplane agent host (for example, http://BINDPLANE_AGENT_IP:514).
- Feed Output Type: Select JSON (recommended for Chronicle ingestion).
- Timezone: Select GMT (default).
(Optional) Configure Feed Output Filters to include only specific log fields or to filter logs by criteria such as department, location, or action.
Click Save.
Click Activate to activate the pending configuration changes.

Note: Each Cloud NSS feed can stream one log type. Create separate feeds for each log type you want to ingest (for example, one feed for Web logs and another for Alerts).

Option 2: Deploy and configure NSS VM (on-premises)

Download the NSS VM image from the Zscaler admin portal:
1. Go to Administration > Nanolog Streaming Service > NSS Servers.
2. Download the NSS OVA (for VMware) or VHD (for Hyper-V/Azure) image.
Deploy the NSS VM in your hypervisor (VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, or Azure):
1. Import the downloaded image and configure the VM with the recommended resources (consult the NSS Deployment Guides for your platform).
2. Configure network settings so the NSS VM can make outbound TLS connections to the Zscaler cloud.
Register the NSS VM in the ZIA admin portal:
1. Go to Administration > Nanolog Streaming Service > NSS Servers.
2. Verify that the NSS VM appears and its State column shows Healthy.
Configure NSS feeds:
1. Go to Administration > Nanolog Streaming Service > NSS Feeds.
2. Click Add NSS Feed.
3. Configure the following parameters:
  - Feed Name: Enter a descriptive name (for example, NSS-Alerts-Feed).
  - NSS Server: Select the deployed NSS VM.
  - NSS Type: Select the log type: NSS for Alerts.
  - SIEM IP Address: Enter the IP address of the Bindplane agent host.
  - SIEM TCP Port: Enter 514 (or the port configured in the Bindplane agent).
  - Feed Output Type: Select JSON (recommended).
4. (Optional) Configure Feed Filters to limit which log entries are streamed.
5. Click Save.
Click Activate to activate the pending configuration changes.

Note: Each NSS VM supports up to 8 data feeds. The NSS VM connects to the Zscaler Nanolog cluster over an outbound TLS connection, decodes the compressed logs, and forwards them to the Bindplane agent over TCP.

UDM mapping table

Log Field	UDM Mapping	Logic
additional	additional	Additional information for the event
meta.slt.node, meta.slt.pipeline, meta.customer, meta.source.type	additional.fields	Additional metadata fields not covered by other UDM fields
	metadata.event_type	Type of event
network	network	Network information for the event
principal	principal	Principal entity involved in the event
meta.source.host	principal.asset.hostname	Hostname of the asset associated with the principal
meta.source.host	principal.hostname	Hostname of the principal
meta.source.port	principal.port	Port number
security_result	security_result	Security result information
target	target	Target entity involved in the event
meta.proxy.host	target.asset.hostname	Hostname of the asset associated with the target
meta.proxy.host	target.hostname	Hostname of the target
meta.proxy.port	target.port	Port number
	metadata.product_name	Name of the product
	metadata.vendor_name	Name of the vendor

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