ONTAP 9 Manuals ( CA08871-402 )

NAS file system auditing

NAS file systems occupy an increased footprint in today’s threat landscape, audit functions are critical to support visibility.

Security requires validation. ONTAP 9 provides increased auditing events and details across the solution. Because NAS file systems occupy an increased footprint in today’s threat landscape, audit functions are critical to support visibility. Because of the improved audit capability in ONTAP 9, CIFS audit details are more plentiful than ever. Key details, including the following, are logged with events created:

  • File, folder, and share access

  • Files created, modified, or deleted

  • Successful file read access

  • Failed attempts to read or write files

  • Folder permission changes

Create an audit configuration

You must enable CIFS auditing to generate auditing events. Use the vserver audit create command to create an audit configuration. By default, the audit log uses a rotation method based on size. You can use a time-based rotation option if specified in the Rotation Parameters field. Additional log audit rotation configuration details include the rotation schedule, the rotation limits, the rotation days of the week, and the rotation size. The following text provides an example configuration depicting an audit configuration using a monthly time-based rotation scheduled for all days of the week at 12:30.

cluster1::> vserver audit create -vserver vs1 -destination /audit_log -rotate-schedule-month all -rotate-schedule-dayofweek all -rotate-schedule-hour 12 -rotate-schedule-minute 30

CIFS audit events

The CIFS audit events are as follows:

  • File share: Generates an audit event when a CIFS network share is added, modified, or deleted using the related vserver cifs share commands.

  • Audit policy change: Generates an audit event when the audit policy is disabled, enabled, or modified using the related vserver audit commands.

  • User account: Generates an audit event when a local CIFS or UNIX user is created or deleted; a local user account is enabled, disabled, or modified; or a password is reset or changed. This event uses the vserver cifs users-and-groups local-group command or the related vserver services name-service unix-user command.

  • Security group: Generates an audit event when a local CIFS or UNIX security group is created or deleted using the vserver cifs users-and-groups local-group command or the related vserver services name-service unix-group command.

  • Authorization policy change: Generates an audit event when rights are granted or revoked for a CIFS user or a CIFS group using the vserver cifs users-and-groups privilege command.

This functionality is based on the system audit function, which enables an administrator to review what the system is allowing and performing from the perspective of a data user.
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