Attempt to Delete an Okta Network Zone
editAttempt to Delete an Okta Network Zone
editDetects attempts to delete an Okta network zone. Okta network zones can be configured to limit or restrict access to a network based on IP addresses or geolocations. An adversary may attempt to modify, delete, or deactivate an Okta network zone in order to remove or weaken an organization’s security controls.
Rule type: query
Rule indices:
- filebeat-*
- logs-okta*
Severity: medium
Risk score: 47
Runs every: 5m
Searches indices from: None (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time
)
Maximum alerts per execution: 100
References:
- https://help.okta.com/en/prod/Content/Topics/Security/network/network-zones.htm
- https://developer.okta.com/docs/reference/api/system-log/
- https://developer.okta.com/docs/reference/api/event-types/
- https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/testing-okta-visibility-and-detection-dorothy
- https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/monitoring-okta-threats-with-elastic-security
- https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/starter-guide-to-understanding-okta
Tags:
- Use Case: Identity and Access Audit
- Data Source: Okta
- Use Case: Network Security Monitoring
- Tactic: Defense Evasion
Version: 207
Rule authors:
- Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Investigation guide
editTriage and analysis
Investigating Attempt to Delete an Okta Network Zone
Okta network zones can be configured to limit or restrict access to a network based on IP addresses or geolocations. Deleting a network zone in Okta might remove or weaken the security controls of an organization, which might be an indicator of an adversary’s attempt to evade defenses.
Possible investigation steps:
-
Identify the actor associated with the alert by examining the
okta.actor.id
,okta.actor.type
,okta.actor.alternate_id
, orokta.actor.display_name
fields. -
Examine the
event.action
field to confirm the deletion of a network zone. -
Investigate the
okta.target.id
,okta.target.type
,okta.target.alternate_id
, orokta.target.display_name
fields to identify the network zone that was deleted. -
Review the
event.time
field to understand when the event happened. - Check the actor’s activities before and after the event to understand the context of this event.
False positive analysis:
-
Verify the
okta.client.user_agent.raw_user_agent
field to understand the device and software used by the actor. If these match the actor’s typical behavior, it might be a false positive. - Check if the actor is a known administrator or a member of the IT team who might have a legitimate reason to delete a network zone.
- Cross-verify the actor’s actions with any known planned changes or maintenance activities.
Response and remediation:
- If unauthorized access or actions are confirmed, immediately lock the affected actor’s account and require a password change.
- If a network zone was deleted without authorization, create a new network zone with similar settings as the deleted one.
- Review and update the privileges of the actor who initiated the deletion.
- Identify any gaps in the security policies and procedures and update them as necessary.
- Implement additional monitoring and logging of Okta events to improve visibility of user actions.
- Communicate and train the employees about the importance of following proper procedures for modifying network zone settings.
Setup
editThe Okta Fleet integration, Filebeat module, or similarly structured data is required to be compatible with this rule.
Rule query
editevent.dataset:okta.system and event.action:zone.delete
Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
-
Technique:
- Name: Impair Defenses
- ID: T1562
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/
-
Sub-technique:
- Name: Disable or Modify Cloud Firewall
- ID: T1562.007
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/007/