02 Oct 2024

Implementing Anomaly-Based Intrusion Detection with Snort and Snorby: A Comprehensive Guide

Tutorials

Introduction

Anomaly-Based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) are pivotal in modern cybersecurity practices due to their ability to detect threats that match no known signatures. In this tutorial, we will implement such a system using Snort, an open-source network IDS, and Snorby, a front-end for Snort. The knowledge gained from this tutorial will greatly contribute to your ability to safeguard networks in real-world situations.

1. Installation

Snort Installation

Step 1: Begin with a server running Ubuntu 20.04. Update your package list and upgrade any existing packages.

 sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install dependencies required for Snort.

 sudo apt install -y build-essential libpcap-dev libdumbnet-dev bison flex zlib1g-dev liblzma-dev openssl libssl-dev

Step 3: Download and compile Snort from source.

 wget https://www.snort.org/downloads/snort/snort-2.9.17.tar.gz tar -xvzf snort-2.9.17.tar.gz cd snort-2.9.17 ./configure --enable-sourcefire make sudo make install

2. Snorby Installation

Install dependencies, Ruby and Rails. Then, download Snorby from GitHub and set up the database.

3. Configuration

Step 1: Configure Snort as an intrusion detection system (IDS) by editing the snort.conf file.

 sudo nano /etc/snort/snort.conf

Step 2: Update the HOME_NET variable to your network.

4. Advanced Configurations

Set Snort to log in a format that can be read by Snorby and create an account on Snorby to view the alerts.

Configure Snorby's email settings to receive urgent alerts directly to your inbox.

5. Troubleshooting & Best Practices

Debug any issues with Snort by running it in the foreground with verbose logging.

 sudo snort -A console -q -u snort -g snort -c /etc/snort/snort.conf -i eth0

Follow best practices like keeping Snort rules up-to-date, monitoring Snorby regularly, and ensuring system hardening measures are in place.

6. Real-World Applications

Use this setup to monitor network traffic in real-time, detect anomalies, inspect packets, and log network incidents - crucial for securing enterprise networks.