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Palo Alto setup for Workbench

  • Updated

This article explains how to connect Palo Alto to Workbench.

In this article

Step 1: Enable console access

This procedure creates a user account for Expel that keeps the Expel activity separate from other activity on the Palo Alto console.

Having read-only access to the interface of your technology allows Expel to dig deeper during incident investigations. Our device health team uses this access to investigate potential health issues with your tech.

Note

Expel secures all login information our SOC analysts need about your devices in a MFA password product. Access to this login information is protected using our internal MFA processes. To learn more about the IP addresses all Expel traffic comes from, go here.

Note

The Expel Assembler needs access to the Palo Alto device or instance through port 443 (UI) and 443 (API) for on-premises onboardings.

For cloud instances, you need to allow Expel through the internet. Expel has 6 egress IP addresses. All requests to the API come from 1 of the 6 IP addresses:

  • 34.75.13.114

  • 34.75.152.7

  • 35.243.190.98

  • 104.196.158.205

  • 34.75.81.28

  • 34.75.210.18

  1. Log onto the Palo Alto console.

  2. On the console page, navigate to Device > Administrators.

  3. Click Add at the bottom left of the page.

  4. In Administrator dialog box, type expeluser for Name.

  5. Type a Password.

  6. For Administrator Type, select Dynamic.

  7. Select Superuser (read-only) from the list below Administrator Type.

  8. Click OK.

  9. Verify that expeluser is created on the console page.

Step 2: Generate API credentials

To integrate the technology with Workbench, we need to create secure credentials to the API.

This procedure creates an authentication token that allows the Expel Assembler to access the Palo Alto API.

Note

Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) authenticated accounts on Palo Alto can't generate API keys.

  1. In a new browser tab, open the following URL, replacing <hostname or IP address>, <username>, and <password> with the appropriate values for your Panorama console or the management interface of your Palo Alto Networks firewall: https://<hostname or ip address>/api/?type=keygen&user=<username>&password=<password>

    • <hostname or IP address> is your Palo Alto URL from your console page.

    • <username> is the username created in Step 1 (expeluser).

    • <password> is the password entered in Step 1.

  2. After the URL is complete, press Enter.

  3. On the next screen, the generated API key appears. Save it for later use.

  4. If you use Wildfire API, we also need a Wildfire API key in addition to the API key just created. Follow these instructions and create a Wildfire API key. Save it for later use.

Step 3: Configure the technology in Workbench

Now that we have the correct access configured and noted the credentials, we can integrate your tech with Workbench.

  1. In a new browser tab, log into Workbench. This link opens the Add Security Device screen directly.

  2. On the Add Security Device screen, fill in the blanks like this:

    Screen Shot 2021-03-08 at 7.21.46 AM.png

    • For Where is your device? select your installation type.

    • For On-prem installations, select your Assembler from the list.

    • For Server address type the hostname or IP address of the Palo Alto management interface. Device IP can be found in the Palo Alto console under Dashboard > General Information > MGT IP Address.

    • For Name and Location, use a name and location that are meaningful to you.

    • For API key type the API key generated in Step 2.

    • For PanOS version, OS version must be specified if OS version is <= 6.

    • For Wildfire API key type the Wildfire API key generated in Step 2.

  3. Click Save.

  4. You can provide console access now or set it up later. Use the instructions below to set it up later.

You can see if the device is healthy on the Security Devices page. It may take a few minutes to see the device listed as healthy.

To check if alerts are coming through, navigate to the Alerts Analysis page. Scroll to the device you want to check and click View alerts. Switch to grid view, then check the list for device alerts. It can take 36 to 72 hours for alerts to appear after setup, as we tune your device.

Step 4: Edit the device to add console access

Expel needs console access to your device to allow our SOC analysts to dig deeper during incident investigations. Additionally, our engineering teams use this access to investigate potential health issues, including proper alert ingestion.

Note

Expel secures all login information our SOC analysts need about your devices in a MFA password product. Access to this login information is protected using our internal MFA processes. To learn more about the IP addresses all Expel traffic comes from, go here.

  1. Open Workbench. Go to Organization Settings > Security Devices. Next to the device you just connected, click the down arrow and click Edit.

  2. In the Console Login area, type these details:

    • Console URL: type the console URL from the Server address in the Connection Settings area above. At the end of the URL, type /login.

    • Username: type the user name you created above.

    • Password: type the password you created above.

    • Two-factor secret key (32-character code): depending on how your organization enforces log-ins, this field may not apply to you. In these cases, you can leave it blank. This field is optional and if you have questions or concerns, reach out to your engagement manager or to support.

  3. Click Save.

Tip

This article was accurate at the time of writing, but changes happen. If you find the instructions are outdated, leave a description in the comment field below and let us know!

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