Configure Winlogbeat to use X-Pack security

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Configure Winlogbeat to use X-Pack security

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If you want Winlogbeat to connect to a cluster that has X-Pack security enabled, there are extra configuration steps:

  1. Configure authentication credentials.

    To send data to a secured cluster through the elasticsearch output, Winlogbeat needs to authenticate as a user who can manage index templates, monitor the cluster, create indices, and read and write to the indices it creates.

  2. Grant users access to Winlogbeat indices.

    To search the indexed Winlogbeat data and visualize it in Kibana, users need access to the indices Winlogbeat creates.

  3. Configure Winlogbeat to use encrypted connections.

    If encryption is enabled on the cluster, you need to enable HTTPS in the Winlogbeat configuration.

  4. Set the password for the built-in monitoring user.

    Winlogbeat uses the beats_system user to send monitoring data to Elasticsearch. If you plan to monitor Winlogbeat in Kibana and have not yet set up the password, set it up now.

For more information about X-Pack security, see Securing the Elastic Stack.

Winlogbeat features that require authorization

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After securing Winlogbeat, make sure your users have the roles (or associated privileges) required to use these Winlogbeat features. You must create the winlogbeat_writer and winlogbeat_reader roles (see Configure authentication credentials and Grant users access to Winlogbeat indices). The other roles are built-in.

Feature Role

Send data to a secured cluster

winlogbeat_writer

Load index templates

winlogbeat_writer and kibana_user

Load Winlogbeat dashboards into Kibana

winlogbeat_writer and kibana_user

Load machine learning jobs

machine_learning_admin

Read indices created by Winlogbeat

winlogbeat_reader

View Winlogbeat dashboards in Kibana

kibana_user