Configuration Profiles Homepage on the ZeroLock® Management Console

Overview of the Configuration Profiles homepage that permits control of ZeroLock® Agent behavior on protected Endpoints.

Overview

A Configuration Profile greatly simplifies ensuring that the desired protections are enabled/disabled, the Lockdown rule policies, the logging and cache options, and the secure shell configuration are as you intended for that specific endpoint.

Additionally, using Configuration Profiles enables ZMC administrators to fine-tune settings for Ransomware, Cryptojacking, and Tampering protection, as well as settings for ensuring usage of SSH-MFA two-factor authentication.  These profiles can also be configured to manage HASH rules as far as setting alert levels, response type, whether to send email alerts, and auto-quarantine settings.

The following instructions will walk you through the layout of the Configuration Profiles homepage followed by instructions on creating a Configuration Profile.


Configuration Profile Screen

Step_1_Main Screen
  1. Export Data - Allows downloading all the information on your screen in CSV format. Clicking either will download all the information on your screen in CSV format.
    1. If you wish to see only select files, hover the cursor to the left of the file number and select the box that appears.
    2. Continue this process until you have selected the files you want then use either download option.
  2. Add New Profile - Select this when to create a new configuration profile.
  3. Column Headings - The column headings are mostly self-explanatory.   IDs are system generated. “# of Endpoints” refers to the number of Endpoints that the profile is being used by.
  4. Configuration Profiles - The names and descriptions of the configuration profiles existing in the environment.
  5. View - Provides a drop-down listing of the screen configurations, i.e., layouts or views, that are available. Initially, the only option in the VIEW drop-down list is All, representing the default and, the only one available layout or view.   Once other layouts are created, they will appear on the list.
  6. Edit - Selecting the cog or gear symbolbrings up the Edit View pop-up screen. This screen enables changing the layout (view) of the columns such as moving columns or hiding columns altogether. The views you create may be saved under their name for easy access from the VIEW tab.

    When the Edit View screen first appears, the only option is Save A Copy bringing up the following screen.
    Step_6_A_Save View As
    Selecting SAVE AS  brings up EDIT VIEW.
    Step_3_Edit View
    Moving any column will replace SAVE A COPY with MODIFIED, RESET, and SAVE AS.Step_6_B_Save Changes-1
    1. Modified – is static and only shows that the ‘original’ layout (view) has been changed.  The label goes away when it’s saved. 
    2. Reset – erases your changes, returning the profile to its original configuration.
    3. Save As – allows you to name and save the view you created.



 

For Demo View #1 the ID column was moved below the Description column.  To save this new Configuration Profile as a different profile view, click SAVE AS, followed by the Save View As screen where a new name is entered. Enter a name for the new view then select Save As which will return you to the previous screen.

To save your changes to the current view, select SAVE CHANGES.

Step_6_C_Save Changes to View

  
Clicking the Done button completes the process and opens the new Configuration Profile View or layout.  Step_6_D_View Section


Creating a New Configuration Profile

Navigate to the System Configuration | Config Profile page then select Add New Profile

Step_1_Add New Profile-3

 

Once on the New Configuration Profile screen, there are twelve (12) editable sections followed by Cancel and Create buttons.

Step_2_New Config Profile Settings
  1. Name/Description – consists of the name and description of the new configuration profile.
  2. Ransomware Protection – This protection setting applies to the agent’s ability to detect ransomware (malware that encrypts files on the system).  For the agent to detect ransomware, it must be executed over a networked connection.  There are six (6) fields:
    1. Enabled - The GREEN block means that ransomware protection is active.  A RED block represents that ransomware protection is disabled. 
    2. Sensitivity - Low, Medium, and High.  The higher the sensitivity, the fewer files it takes for the ZeroLock AI engine to detect the ransomware attack and generate an alert.  Setting this value too high could cause false positive alerts. 
    3. Alert Level - Low, Medium, and High. This controls how the alert’s severity level will appear in the ZMC.   
    4. Send Email Alerts - This setting controls if emails are sent to all users when a ransomware alert is generated.  The email will contain detailed alert information.  If active, the checkbox will be white.  The email section under System Settings will need to be enabled and configured.
    5. Response Type – refers to how ZeroLock will respond.  Options are Do Nothing, Suspend, Kill, and Remediate.
      1. Do Nothing - an alert is generated.  The ZMC will no action other than generating an alert that possible malware was detected. User intervention is required
      2. Suspend – the identified network process that triggered the alert will be suspended.  The offending process and its children will be in a hung state.  A user response is required to unblock the process.
      3. Kill – the network process, and the children that triggered the alert will be terminated.  The user has the option to remediate the alert.
      4. Remediate – the ZeroLock Agent will automatically terminate the offending network process and the children that triggered the alert.  All files manipulated during the attack will be automatically restored to their original state. 
    6. Auto Quarantine – if the checkbox is white the endpoint will be auto-quarantined in the event of an alert.  Internet and network access to and from the quarantined endpoint will be blocked except for access to and from the ZMC server. 
  3. Cryptojacking Protection – This protection setting applies to the agent’s ability to detect a cryptojacking attack (malicious code that will hijack a machine’s resources to generate cryptocurrency).  It has the same six (6) fields as  Ransomware Protection.
  4. Tampering Protection – This protection setting applies to the agent’s ability to protect itself from being disabled.  Any attempts at modifying/adding/deleting files in the ZeroLock installation directory will result in a tampering alert.  To protect the running ZeroLock service, the recommended ruleset must be enabled under the Policies section in ZMC.  It has the same fields as Ransomware Protection except for Sensitivity which has been removed. 
  5. Hash Rules – This protection setting applies to the agent’s ability to protect itself from executable files whose SHA-256 hash values have been added to a list and are allowed or blocked.  The hash values are added to this list by creating a new rule or automatically adding a new rule by selecting BLOCK or ALLOW on the Process Information screen.  There are four (4) fields: Alert Level, Send Email Alerts, Response Type, and Auto Quarantine
  6. SSH Multifactor Auth – This protection setting applies to the agent’s ability to allow, block, or authenticate ssh sessions from a particular user, IP address or by setting a schedule of when the endpoint may accept ssh sessions.  There are three (3) fields:  Enabled, Alert Level, and Send Email Alerts.
  7. Default Control Policy – Using the Policy drop-down menu, select the desired policy. The available policy list comes from Policies (Control Policies | Policies).
  8. Endpoint Logging – Used for setting the size of the Baldur and Tyr logs for the ZeroLock Agent on the endpoint.
  9. Remote Shell – A remote shell is a tool for executing commands on a device through a command-line shell.  Fields are Enabled and Default User.   A GREEN checkbox indicates this feature is enabled and that commands can be remotely run from the ZeroLock Management Console (ZMC) on the endpoints.  The Default User is ‘nobody’ acting as a placeholder without permissions.                                                                                                                                             Note:  The ONLY system that can access this feature on the endpoint is the configured Collector system defined in the Agents configuration.
  1. Precision Mode Settings* –  ESXi systems do not use these settingsOnce the ZeroLock agent identifies the operating system as ESXi, it uses the ESXi group box configuration options (see item 12 below).
    When enabled, the default is that an agent does not monitor any processes. The cron, systemd, and containerd options and Process Scan Regex settings work together to allow a user to fine-tune the list of processes that are monitored by ZeroLock.  It may take up to 60 seconds for an agent to receive the new settings and to begin monitoring the listed processes when it is initially applied. This section contains five (5) fields:
    1. Enable – If selected, Precision Mode is on.
    2. Monitor cron – ZeroLock to monitor cron jobs. Cron, Anacron, and/or Crond must be present in the Process Scan Regex for this setting to work.
    3. Monitor systemd –ZeroLock to monitor systemd and any services restarted or started by a periodic job.
    4. Monitor containerd - ZeroLock to monitor containers. Containerd must be present in the Process Scan Regex for this setting to work. 
    5. Process Scan Regex – is the regex that must be matched by processes ZeroLock will monitor when it does sweeps of the system.

Note:  When disabling monitor options, the agent must be disabled then reenabled to stop monitoring already running processes.  For example, if you are monitoring cron jobs and then disable it on the server, you have to deactivate and reactivate the agent so that it stops monitoring this type of process.

          *Available in ZeroLock Management Console v2.0.7 and later.

11.     Cache Settings – Contains four (4) fields:

    • Location
      The path used by the ZeroLock agent to store (cache) files that are identified as being modified and needed for attack remediation.  Speed of access is required for optimal system performance.  The best practice is to use space on the local system drive.  If a network location is required, throughput is something that needs to be accounted for.  This location will be protected by the tampering detection functionality.
    • Max Size 

      The maximum allowed disc space that the ZeroLock agent can use when backing up data for remediation.  Users should configure the Max Size setting to ensure enough space is available depending on the size and number of files modified on the system.  The default is 1000 MB (Mega Bytes).

    • Max Cache File Age
      The maximum time a backed-up file will be available in the cache and for use in remediation.  The default is 172,800 seconds (48 hours). 
    • Max Cache File Size
      The maximum file size that the ZeroLock agent will attempt to back up for use in remediation.  The value should be set to a number larger than the largest essential files on the protected system.  This setting must be verified when protecting ESXi systems.  If a file is larger than this value, it will be ignored and can cause remediation to fail if the system is attacked.  The default is 104,857,600 B or 100 MB. 

    

 

Edit an Existing Configuration Profile

If you need to make changes to a saved profile, the simplest way is to click a single time on the profile name which will open a partial view of the Profiles screen as seen below.  In the 'default' layout only Duplicate is available.  For other layouts or views the Edit and Delete option will be included.

Selecting Duplicate will open the screen fully as previously seen in step 2.  

Step_1_Configg Profile Duplicate

 

When done editing, it's recommended a descriptive name is assigned followed by clicking Update which returns to the screen you started from.

Step_1_Duplicate_Edit Profile


Applying a Configuration Profile to an Endpoint

  1. Once a Configuration Profile has been created, it must be applied to an endpoint for the settings to take effect. Navigate to the Endpoints page.
    Step_1_Endpoints Home Screen

  2. On the Endpoints page, select the endpoint or multiple endpoints you want to apply the new configuration profile to. Then, click the Actions drop-down menu and then Set Endpoint Config.
    Step_2_Select Endpoint for Profile

  3. On the Set Endpoint Configs box, select the created configuration profile from the drop-down menu. Then select the Set Configs button.
    Step_3_Set Endpoint Configs

  4. On clicking Set Configs you are returned to the Endpoints homepage where you can see the profile has been applied.Step_4_Applied to Endpoint

You have successfully configured an endpoint with a new Configuration Profile!