Overview
The UTMStack Sophos Central plugin is a connector developed in Golang that synchronizes and processes logs from Sophos Central and sends them to the UTMStack processing server for comprehensive endpoint security monitoring.How It Works
The Sophos integration:- Uses the Sophos Central SIEM API to retrieve security events
- Authenticates using Client ID and Client Secret headers
- Connects to the appropriate Data Region endpoint
- Forwards events to UTMStack via GRPC through a Unix socket
PrerequisitesYou need a valid Sophos Central account with:
- Client ID: API credentials for Sophos Central
- Client Secret: API authentication secret
- Data Region: The regional endpoint for your Sophos tenant
Configuration Steps
1. Create API Credentials in Sophos Central
- Log in to Sophos Central
- Navigate to Global Settings > API Credentials
- Click Add Credential
- Select the credential type:
- Choose Service Principal for integration access
- Enter a name (e.g., “UTMStack Integration”)
- Select the following permissions:
- SIEM: Read
- Alerts: Read (optional, for alert data)
- Endpoints: Read (optional, for device information)
- Click Add to create the credentials
- Copy the Client ID and Client Secret immediately
2. Identify Your Data Region
Sophos uses different regional endpoints. Your data region is typically displayed in Sophos Central or can be determined by your account location:- US:
https://api.central.sophos.com - EU:
https://api-eu01.central.sophos.com - EU02:
https://api-eu02.central.sophos.com - APAC:
https://api-apac.central.sophos.com
3. Enable SIEM Integration
- In Sophos Central, navigate to Logs & Reports > SIEM Integration
- Enable SIEM integration
- Configure which event types to include:
- Events
- Alerts
- Applications
- Data Control
- Web Control
- Save the configuration
4. Configure in UTMStack
- Navigate to Integrations in the UTMStack console
- Select Sophos Central
- Enter the required credentials:
- Client ID: Your Sophos API client ID
- Client Secret: Your Sophos API client secret
- Data Region: Select or enter your regional endpoint
- Click Test Connection to verify credentials
- Click Save to activate the integration
5. Verify Integration
Once configured, the plugin will:- Authenticate with Sophos Central using the provided credentials
- Connect to the SIEM API endpoint for your data region
- Begin polling for security events
- Forward events to UTMStack for analysis
- Checking the integration status in UTMStack console
- Viewing incoming Sophos events in the Events dashboard
- Monitoring the plugin logs for API connection status
Event Types Collected
The Sophos integration collects various security events:Endpoint Protection Events
- Malware detections and cleanups
- Potentially unwanted applications (PUA)
- Exploit prevention
- Ransomware protection events
- Real-time protection status
Threat Events
- Malicious traffic detections
- Suspicious file behavior
- Threat intelligence matches
- Blocked applications
Data Control Events
- File transfers to removable media
- Data loss prevention events
- File type control violations
Web Control Events
- Blocked website access
- Category-based filtering
- Application control
System Events
- Endpoint status changes
- Policy updates
- Agent installation/uninstallation
- Update failures
Polling Frequency
The Sophos SIEM API uses a cursor-based polling mechanism:- Events are retrieved in chronological order
- The plugin maintains cursor position to avoid duplicate events
- Polling occurs at regular intervals (typically every minute)
- No events are missed between polling intervals
Troubleshooting
Authentication Errors
- Verify Client ID and Client Secret are correct
- Ensure the API credentials have not expired or been revoked
- Check that SIEM Read permission is granted
- Confirm the credentials are for the correct Sophos tenant
No Data Received
- Verify SIEM integration is enabled in Sophos Central
- Ensure endpoints are reporting to Sophos Central
- Check that event types are configured in SIEM settings
- Confirm the data region endpoint is correct
- Review plugin logs for API errors
Wrong Data Region
- The data region must match your Sophos tenant location
- Use the Sophos whoami API to verify your region
- Incorrect region will result in authentication failures
Rate Limiting
- Sophos API has rate limits (typically 100 requests per minute)
- The plugin implements automatic retry with backoff
- Rate limit errors are logged for monitoring
Data Retention
Sophos Central retains SIEM events for:- 90 days for most event types
- Events older than 90 days are not available via API
Security Best Practices
- Store API credentials securely and never commit them to code
- Rotate Client Secrets regularly (recommended every 90 days)
- Use dedicated API credentials for each integration
- Apply principle of least privilege (only grant SIEM Read)
- Monitor API credential usage in Sophos Central
- Disable or delete unused API credentials
- Enable IP restrictions if Sophos Central supports it
- Review audit logs for API access
Performance Considerations
- Large deployments may generate high event volumes
- The plugin automatically manages polling to avoid API limits
- Consider filtering events at the Sophos level if needed
- Monitor UTMStack ingestion rates for capacity planning