Azure Stack Hub Syslog Forwarding Best Practices

Recommended Configuration for Protecting Against Eavesdropping and Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

Question

Which of the following syslog forwarding configuration would you recommend for the production environments to protect against eavesdropping of messages and man-in-the-middle attacks? [Select the best possible configuration]

Answers

Explanations

Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer

A. B. C. D.

Correct Answer: D

Syslog over TCP, with mutual authentication (client and server) and TLS 1.2 encryption is the best recommended configuration by Microsoft for the production environments to protect against eavesdropping of messages and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Option A is incorrect.

Due to no verification of client and server identities, the given configuration is not the recommended configuration.

Option B is incorrect.

Syslog over UDP, with no encryption, is also not a recommended configuration.

Option C is incorrect.

Syslog over TCP with server authentication and TLS 1.2 encryption also protects the production environments up to some extent but it is not the best-recommended configuration.

Option D is correct.

Syslog over TCP, with mutual authentication (client and server) and TLS 1.2 encryption is the best recommended configuration by Microsoft for the production environments to protect against eavesdropping of messages and man-in-the-middle attacks.

To know more about configuring Syslog forwarding, please visit the below-given link:

Syslog forwarding is a technique used to transfer system log messages from one server to another for centralized storage and analysis. It is a common practice in enterprise environments to monitor the performance and security of their infrastructure.

When it comes to syslog forwarding configuration for production environments, security is a critical consideration. The configuration should ensure the confidentiality and integrity of log messages while in transit to prevent eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Option A: Syslog over TCP, with no encryption This option is not recommended for production environments because it does not provide any encryption for the log messages. This means that the messages could be intercepted and read by anyone who has access to the network, compromising the security of the system.

Option B: Syslog over UDP, with no encryption This option is also not recommended for production environments for the same reasons as option A. UDP is a connectionless protocol, which means that there is no way to guarantee that the log messages will arrive at their destination, making it unreliable for critical environments.

Option C: Syslog over TCP with server authentication and TLS 1.2 encryption This option provides server authentication and encryption of the log messages using TLS 1.2, which is a secure protocol. Server authentication ensures that the log messages are sent to the intended server and not intercepted by a third-party attacker. TLS encryption provides confidentiality and integrity of the messages, preventing eavesdropping and tampering of the logs.

Option D: Syslog over TCP, with mutual authentication (client and server) and TLS 1.2 encryption. This option is the most secure configuration for syslog forwarding in production environments. It provides mutual authentication between the client and server, ensuring that both parties are who they claim to be. This eliminates the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks. Additionally, TLS 1.2 encryption provides confidentiality and integrity of the log messages, making it difficult for attackers to intercept and manipulate the logs.

In summary, the best possible configuration for syslog forwarding in production environments to protect against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks is option D: Syslog over TCP, with mutual authentication (client and server) and TLS 1.2 encryption.