NetBackup and Veritas Appliances Hardening Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): Appliances (10.3, 5.3, 4.0), NetBackup & Alta Data Protection (10.3, 5.3, 4.0)
Platform: Flex Appliance OS,NetBackup Appliance OS,Linux,Windows,UNIX
  1. Top recommendations to improve your NetBackup and Veritas appliances security posture
    1.  
      Introduction
    2.  
      Keeping all systems and software updated
    3.  
      Enabling multifactor authentication
    4.  
      Enabling multiperson authorization
    5.  
      Increasing the security level
    6.  
      Implementing an immutable data vault
    7.  
      Securing credentials
    8.  
      Reducing network exposure
    9.  
      Enabling encryption
    10.  
      Enabling catalog protection
    11.  
      Enabling malware scanning and anomaly detection
    12.  
      Enabling security observability
    13.  
      Restricting user access
    14.  
      Configuring a sign-in banner
  2. Steps to protect Flex Appliance
    1.  
      About Flex Appliance hardening
    2. Managing multifactor authentication
      1.  
        Configuring or reconfiguring multifactor authentication
      2.  
        Enforcing multifactor authentication
    3.  
      Configuring the multi-factor authentication on NetBackup primary and media server instance
    4.  
      Configuring the multi-factor authentication on NetBackup WORM storage server instance
    5. Managing single sign-on (SSO)
      1.  
        Managing identity providers (IDPs)
      2.  
        Importing single sign-on (SSO) users
    6.  
      Managing user authentication with smart cards or digital certificates
    7. About lockdown mode
      1.  
        Changing the lockdown mode
    8.  
      Using network access control
    9.  
      Using an external certificate
    10.  
      Forwarding logs
    11.  
      Creating a NetBackup WORM storage server instance
    12. Configuring an isolated recovery environment using the web UI
      1.  
        Configuring the allowed subnets
      2.  
        Configuring the reverse connections
      3.  
        Configuring the reverse replication schedule
      4.  
        Adding a replication operation to SLP at the production primary server
    13.  
      Protecting the NetBackup catalog on a WORM storage server
    14.  
      Using a sign-in banner
  3. Steps to protect NetBackup Appliance
    1.  
      About NetBackup Appliance hardening
    2.  
      About multifactor authentication
    3. About single sign-on (SSO) authentication and authorization
      1.  
        Configure single sign-on (SSO) for a NetBackup Appliance
    4. About authentication using smart cards and digital certificates
      1.  
        2FA
      2.  
        Smart card Authentication for NetBackup Web UI
      3.  
        Smart card authentication for NetBackup Appliance Web UI
      4.  
        Smart card authentication for NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
      5.  
        Configure role-based access control
      6.  
        Configure authentication for a smart card or digital certificate for the NetBackup Web UI
    5.  
      Disable user access to the NetBackup appliance operating system
    6.  
      About Network Access Control
    7. About data encryption
      1.  
        KMS support
    8.  
      FIPS 140-2 conformance for NetBackup Appliance
    9.  
      About implementing external certificates
    10.  
      About antimalware protection
    11. About forwarding logs to an external server
      1.  
        Uploading certificates for TLS
      2.  
        Enabling log forwarding
    12.  
      Creating the appliance login banner
  4. Steps to protect NetBackup
    1.  
      About NetBackup hardening
    2. About multifactor authentication
      1.  
        Configure multi-factor authentication for your user account
      2.  
        Enforce multi-factor authentication for all users
    3. Configure NetBackup for single sign-on (SSO)
      1.  
        Configure the SAML KeyStore
      2.  
        Configure the SAML keystore and add and enable the IDP configuration
      3.  
        Enroll the NetBackup primary server with the IDP
    4. Configure user authentication with smart cards or digital certificates
      1.  
        Configure smart card authentication with a domain
      2.  
        Configure smart card authentication without a domain
    5. Workflow to configure multi-person authorization for NetBackup operations
      1.  
        NetBackup operations that need multi-person authorization
      2.  
        RBAC roles and permissions for multi-person authorization
      3.  
        Configure multi-person authorization
    6. Access codes
      1.  
        Request CLI access through web UI authentication
      2.  
        Approve the CLI access request of another user
    7. Workflow to configure immutable and indelible data
      1.  
        About configuring disk pool storage
      2.  
        Use WORM setting
      3.  
        Creating a backup policy
    8. Add a configuration for an external CMS server
      1.  
        Add a credential for CyberArk
    9. Configuring an isolated recovery environment on a NetBackup BYO media server
      1.  
        Configuring A.I.R. for replicating backup images from production environment to IRE BYO environment
    10. About FIPS support in NetBackup
      1.  
        Enable FIPS mode on NetBackup during installation
      2.  
        Enable FIPS mode on a NetBackup host after installation
      3.  
        Enable FIPS mode for the NetBackup Authentication Broker service
      4.  
        Enable FIPS mode for the NetBackup Administration Console
      5.  
        NB_FIPS_MODE option for NetBackup servers and clients
    11.  
      Installing KMS
    12. Workflow for external KMS configuration
      1.  
        Validating KMS credentials
      2.  
        Configuring KMS credentials
      3.  
        Configuring KMS
      4.  
        Creating keys in an external KMS
      5. Workflow to configure data-in-transit encryption
        1.  
          Configure the global data-in-transit encryption setting
        2. Configure the DTE mode on a client
          1.  
            DTE_CLIENT_MODE for clients
        3. How DTE configuration settings work in various NetBackup operations
          1.  
            Backup
          2.  
            Restore
          3.  
            MSDP backup, restore, and optimized duplication
          4.  
            Universal-Share policy backup
          5.  
            Catalog backup and recovery
          6.  
            Duplication
          7.  
            Synthetic backup
          8.  
            Verify
          9.  
            Import
          10.  
            Replication
        4.  
          Configure the DTE mode on the media server
        5. Modify the DTE mode on a backup image
          1.  
            DTE_IGNORE_IMAGE_MODE for NetBackup servers
    13. Workflow to use external certificates for NetBackup host communication
      1. About certificate revocation lists for external CA
        1.  
          How CRLs from ECA_CRL_PATH are used
        2.  
          How CRLs from CDP URLs are used
      2.  
        Configure an external certificate for the NetBackup web server
      3.  
        Configuring the primary server to use an external CA-signed certificate
      4. Configuring an external certificate for a clustered primary server
        1. Configuration options for external CA-signed certificates for a virtual name
          1.  
            CLUSTER_ECA_CERT_PATH for clustered primary server
          2.  
            CLUSTER_ECA_TRUST_STORE_PATH for clustered primary server
          3.  
            CLUSTER_ECA_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH for clustered primary server
          4.  
            CLUSTER_ECA_KEY_PASSPHRASEFILE for clustered primary server
      5. Configuring a NetBackup host (media server, client, or cluster node) to use an external CA-signed certificate after installation
        1.  
          Enrolling an external certificate for a remote host
      6. Configuration options for external CA-signed certificates
        1. ECA_CERT_PATH for NetBackup servers and clients
          1.  
            Specifying Windows certificate store for ECA_CERT_PATH
        2.  
          ECA_TRUST_STORE_PATH for NetBackup servers and clients
        3.  
          ECA_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH for NetBackup servers and clients
        4.  
          ECA_KEY_PASSPHRASEFILE for NetBackup servers and clients
        5.  
          ECA_CRL_CHECK for NetBackup servers and clients
        6.  
          ECA_CRL_PATH for NetBackup servers and clients
        7.  
          ECA_CRL_PATH_SYNC_HOURS for NetBackup servers and clients
        8.  
          ECA_CRL_REFRESH_HOURS for NetBackup servers and clients
        9.  
          ECA_DISABLE_AUTO_ENROLLMENT for NetBackup servers and clients
        10.  
          ECA_DR_BKUP_WIN_CERT_STORE for NetBackup servers and clients
        11.  
          MANAGE_WIN_CERT_STORE_PRIVATE_KEY option for NetBackup primary servers
    14.  
      Guidelines for managing the primary server NetBackup catalog
    15. About protecting the MSDP catalog
      1. About the MSDP shadow catalog
        1.  
          Changing the MSDP shadow catalog path
        2.  
          Changing the MSDP shadow catalog schedule
        3.  
          Changing the number of MSDP catalog shadow copies
      2.  
        About the MSDP catalog backup policy
    16. How to set up malware scanning
      1.  
        Prerequisites for a scan host
      2.  
        Configuring a new scan host pool
    17. About backup anomaly detection
      1.  
        Detecting backup anomalies on the primary server
      2.  
        Detecting backup anomalies on the media server
      3.  
        Configure backup anomaly detection settings
      4.  
        View backup anomalies
    18.  
      Send audit events to system logs
    19.  
      Send audit events to log forwarding endpoints
    20.  
      Display a banner to users when they sign in

Configuring or reconfiguring multifactor authentication

Flex Appliance supports multifactor authentication for local, Active Directory (AD), and LDAP users in the Flex Appliance Console and the hostadmin user in the Flex Appliance Shell.

The following authenticator apps are supported:

  • Microsoft Authenticator version 6.5.12 and later

  • Google Authenticator

  • Okta Verify

    Note that when you scan the QR code with this app, the authentication process could take up to a minute.

  • Symantec VIP Access 4.3.3 and later

Note:

Multifactor authentication may affect integrations like APIs, automation, and third-party Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions.

Configuring or reconfiguring multifactor authentication for the Flex Appliance Console

Before you can configure multifactor authentication for a user in the Flex Appliance Console, the following prerequisites must be met:

  • The appliance date and time must be set with NTP.

  • At least one user must have the security administrator role. If you are the user with the security administrator role, at least one additional user must also have the security administrator role.

  • You must have a supported authenticator app installed on your mobile device.

To configure or reconfigure multifactor authentication for the Flex Appliance Console

  1. From the Flex Appliance Console, click your user icon in the top-right corner and click Configure multifactor authentication.
  2. On the Configure multifactor authentication page, click Configure or Reconfigure.

    Note:

    The Reconfigure option is only available if multifactor authentication is enforced, and the start date has passed. For other scenarios, click Disable and then click Configure.

  3. Follow the prompts to add your Flex Appliance account to the authenticator app.

    If you have already configured multifactor authentication for another appliance and want to use the same authenticator account to sign in to this appliance, select the option Use a custom key. Enter the key from the appliance that is already configured.

    You can also create and enter your own key with the custom key option. If you create your own key, note that some authenticator apps may not support pad characters. Confirm compatibility with your app if you want to use them.

Configuring or reconfiguring multifactor authentication for the Flex Appliance Shell

Before you can configure multifactor authentication for the hostadmin user in the Flex Appliance Shell, the following prerequisites must be met:

  • The appliance date and time must be set with NTP.

  • You must have a supported authenticator app installed on your mobile device.

To configure or reconfigure multifactor authentication for the Flex Appliance Shell

  1. From the Flex Appliance Shell, run the following command:

    set user mfa

  2. Follow the prompts to add the hostadmin account to your authenticator app.

    If you have already configured multifactor authentication for another appliance and want to use the same authenticator account to sign in to this appliance, respond yes to the question Do you want to specify an existing key? Enter the key from the appliance that is already configured. You can view the key on the other appliance with the show user mfa key command.

    You can also create and enter your own key with the existing key option. If you create your own key, note that some authenticator apps may not support pad characters. Confirm compatibility with your app if you want to use them.

  3. Share the QR code or the key with anyone else who requires access to the Flex Appliance Shell so that they can also add the hostadmin account to their authenticator app. You can view the QR code and the key at any time with the following command:

    show user mfa key

  4. If you have a multi-node appliance, repeat these steps on the other node.