ONTAP cyber vault hardening with PowerShell

09/24/2024 Contributors

The ONTAP cyber vault provides better resilience against cyber-attacks compared to traditional solutions. When designing an architecture to enhance security, it is crucial to consider measures to reduce the surface area of attack. This can be achieved through various methods such as implementing hardened password policies, enabling RBAC, locking default user accounts, configuring firewalls, and utilizing approval flows for any changes to the vault system. Furthermore, restricting network access protocols from specific IP address can help to limit potential vulnerabilities.

ONTAP provides a set of controls that allow to harden the ONTAP storage. Use the guidance and configuration settings for ONTAP to help organization meet prescribed security objectives for information system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Hardening best practices

Manual steps

Create a designated user with pre-defined and custom administrative role.
Create a new IPspace to isolate network traffic.
Create a new SVM residing in the new IPspace.
Ensure firewall routing policies are properly configured and that all rules are regularly audited and updated as needed.

ONTAP CLI or via automation script

Protect administration with Multi-Admin Verification (MFA)
Enable encryption for standard data "in-flight" between clusters.
Secure SSH with strong encryption cipher and enforce secure passwords.
Enable global FIPS.
Telnet and Remote Shell (RSH) should be disabled.
Lock default admin account.
Disable data LIFs and secure remote access points.
Disable and remove unused or extraneous protocols and services.
Encrypt network traffic.
Use the principle of least privilege when setting up superuser and administrative roles.
Restrict HTTPS and SSH from specific IP address using allowed IP option.
Quiesce and resume the replication based on the transfer schedule.

Bullets 1-4 needs manual intervention like designating an isolated network, segregating the IPspace and so on and needs to be performed beforehand. Detailed information to configure the hardening can be found in the ONTAP security hardening guide. The rest can be easily automated for easy deployment and monitoring purposes. The objective of this orchestrated approach is to provide a mechanism to automate the hardening steps to future proof the vault controller. The time frame the cyber vault air-gap is open is as short as possible. SnapVault leverages incremental forever technology, which will only move the changes since the last update into the cyber vault, thereby minimizing the amount of time the cyber vault must stay open. To further optimize the workflow, the cyber vault opening is coordinated with the replication schedule to ensure the smallest connection window.

Here is a PowerShell code example to harden a ONTAP controller.

function removeSvmDataProtocols {
    try {

        # checking NFS service is disabled
        logMessage -message "Checking if NFS service is disabled on vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
        $nfsService = Get-NcNfsService
        if($nfsService) {
            # Remove NFS
            logMessage -message "Removing NFS protocol on vServer : $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
            Remove-NcNfsService -VserverContext $DESTINATION_VSERVER -Confirm:$false
            logMessage -message "NFS protocol removed on vServer :  $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"
        } else {
            logMessage -message "NFS service is disabled on vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"
        }

        # checking CIFS/SMB server is disabled
        logMessage -message "Checking if CIFS/SMB server is disabled on vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
        $cifsServer = Get-NcCifsServer
        if($cifsServer) {
            # Remove SMB/CIFS
            logMessage -message "Removing SMB/CIFS protocol on vServer : $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
            $domainAdministratorUsername = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter Domain administrator username"
            $domainAdministratorPassword = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter Domain administrator password" -AsSecureString
            $plainPassword = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto([Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($domainAdministratorPassword))
            Remove-NcCifsServer -VserverContext $DESTINATION_VSERVER -AdminUsername $domainAdministratorUsername -AdminPassword $plainPassword -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction Stop
            logMessage -message "SMB/CIFS protocol removed on vServer :  $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"
        } else {
            logMessage -message "CIFS/SMB server is disabled on vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"
        }

        # checking iSCSI service is disabled
        logMessage -message "Checking if iSCSI service is disabled on vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
        $iscsiService = Get-NcIscsiService
        if($iscsiService) {
            # Remove iSCSI
            logMessage -message "Removing iSCSI protocol on vServer : $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
            Remove-NcIscsiService -VserverContext $DESTINATION_VSERVER -Confirm:$false
            logMessage -message "iSCSI protocol removed on vServer :  $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"
        } else {
            logMessage -message "iSCSI service is disabled on vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"
        }

        # checking FCP service is disabled
        logMessage -message "Checking if FCP service is disabled on vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
        $fcpService = Get-NcFcpService
        if($fcpService) {
            # Remove FCP
            logMessage -message "Removing FC protocol on vServer : $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
            Remove-NcFcpService -VserverContext $DESTINATION_VSERVER -Confirm:$false
            logMessage -message "FC protocol removed on vServer :  $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"
        } else {
            logMessage -message "FCP service is disabled on vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"
        }

    } catch {
        handleError -errorMessage $_.Exception.Message
    }
}

function disableSvmDataLifs {
    try {
        logMessage -message "Finding all data lifs on vServer : $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
        $dataLifs = Get-NcNetInterface -Vserver $DESTINATION_VSERVER | Where-Object { $_.Role -contains "data_core" }
        $dataLifs | Select-Object -Property InterfaceName, OpStatus, DataProtocols, Vserver, Address

        logMessage -message "Disabling all data lifs on vServer : $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
        # Disable the filtered data LIFs
        foreach ($lif in $dataLifs) {
            $disableLif = Set-NcNetInterface -Vserver $DESTINATION_VSERVER -Name $lif.InterfaceName -AdministrativeStatus down -ErrorAction Stop
            $disableLif | Select-Object -Property InterfaceName, OpStatus, DataProtocols, Vserver, Address
        }
        logMessage -message "Disabled all data lifs on vServer : $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"

    } catch {
        handleError -errorMessage $_.Exception.Message
    }
}

function configureMultiAdminApproval {
    try {

        # check if multi admin verification is enabled
        logMessage -message "Checking if multi-admin verification is enabled"
        $maaConfig = Invoke-NcSsh -Name $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP -Credential $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CREDS -Command "set -privilege advanced; security multi-admin-verify show"
        if ($maaConfig.Value -match "Enabled" -and $maaConfig.Value -match "true") {
            $maaConfig
            logMessage -message "Multi-admin verification is configured and enabled" -type "SUCCESS"
        } else {
            logMessage -message "Setting Multi-admin verification rules"
            # Define the commands to be restricted
            $rules = @(
                "cluster peer delete",
                "vserver peer delete",
                "volume snapshot policy modify",
                "volume snapshot rename",
                "vserver audit modify",
                "vserver audit delete",
                "vserver audit disable"
            )
            foreach($rule in $rules) {
                Invoke-NcSsh -Name $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP -Credential $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CREDS -Command "security multi-admin-verify rule create -operation `"$rule`""
            }

            logMessage -message "Creating multi admin verification group for ONTAP Cluster $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP, Group name : $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_GROUP_NAME, Users : $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_USERS, Email : $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_EMAIL"
            Invoke-NcSsh -Name $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP -Credential $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CREDS -Command "security multi-admin-verify approval-group create -name $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_GROUP_NAME -approvers $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_USERS -email `"$MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_EMAIL`""
            logMessage -message "Created multi admin verification group for ONTAP Cluster $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP, Group name : $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_GROUP_NAME, Users : $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_USERS, Email : $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_EMAIL" -type "SUCCESS"

            logMessage -message "Enabling multi admin verification group $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_GROUP_NAME"
            Invoke-NcSsh -Name $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP -Credential $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CREDS -Command "security multi-admin-verify modify -approval-groups $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_GROUP_NAME -required-approvers 1 -enabled true"
            logMessage -message "Enabled multi admin verification group $MULTI_ADMIN_APPROVAL_GROUP_NAME" -type "SUCCESS"

            logMessage -message "Enabling multi admin verification for ONTAP Cluster $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP"
            Invoke-NcSsh -Name $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP -Credential $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CREDS -Command "security multi-admin-verify modify -enabled true"
            logMessage -message "Successfully enabled multi admin verification for ONTAP Cluster $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP" -type "SUCCESS"

            logMessage -message "Enabling multi admin verification for ONTAP Cluster $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP"
            Invoke-NcSsh -Name $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP -Credential $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CREDS -Command "security multi-admin-verify modify -enabled true"
            logMessage -message "Successfully enabled multi admin verification for ONTAP Cluster $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP" -type "SUCCESS"
        }

    } catch {
        handleError -errorMessage $_.Exception.Message
    }
}

function additionalSecurityHardening {
    try {
        $command = "set -privilege advanced -confirmations off;security protocol modify -application telnet -enabled false;"
        logMessage -message "Disabling Telnet"
        Invoke-NcSsh -Name $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP -Credential $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CREDS -Command $command
        logMessage -message "Disabled Telnet" -type "SUCCESS"

        #$command = "set -privilege advanced -confirmations off;security config modify -interface SSL -is-fips-enabled true;"
        #logMessage -message "Enabling Global FIPS"
        ##Invoke-SSHCommand -SessionId $sshSession.SessionId -Command $command -ErrorAction Stop
        #logMessage -message "Enabled Global FIPS" -type "SUCCESS"

        $command = "set -privilege advanced -confirmations off;network interface service-policy modify-service -vserver cluster2 -policy default-management -service management-https -allowed-addresses $ALLOWED_IPS;"
        logMessage -message "Restricting IP addresses $ALLOWED_IPS for Cluster management HTTPS"
        Invoke-NcSsh -Name $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CLUSTER_MGMT_IP -Credential $DESTINATION_ONTAP_CREDS -Command $command
        logMessage -message "Successfully restricted IP addresses $ALLOWED_IPS for Cluster management HTTPS" -type "SUCCESS"

        #logMessage -message "Checking if audit logs volume audit_logs exists"
        #$volume = Get-NcVol -Vserver $DESTINATION_VSERVER -Name audit_logs -ErrorAction Stop

        #if($volume) {
        #    logMessage -message "Volume audit_logs already exists! Skipping creation"
        #} else {
        #    # Create audit logs volume
        #    logMessage -message "Creating audit logs volume : audit_logs"
        #    New-NcVol -Name audit_logs -Aggregate $DESTINATION_AGGREGATE_NAME -Size 5g -ErrorAction Stop | Select-Object -Property Name, State, TotalSize, Aggregate, Vserver
        #    logMessage -message "Volume audit_logs created successfully" -type "SUCCESS"
        #}

        ## Mount audit logs volume to path /vol/audit_logs
        #logMessage -message "Creating junction path for volume audit_logs at path /vol/audit_logs for vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER"
        #Mount-NcVol -VserverContext $DESTINATION_VSERVER -Name audit_logs -JunctionPath /audit_logs | Select-Object -Property Name, -JunctionPath
        #logMessage -message "Created junction path for volume audit_logs at path /vol/audit_logs for vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER" -type "SUCCESS"

        #logMessage -message "Enabling audit logging for vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER at path /vol/audit_logs"
        #$command = "set -privilege advanced -confirmations off;vserver audit create -vserver $DESTINATION_VSERVER -destination /audit_logs -format xml;"
        #Invoke-SSHCommand -SessionI  $sshSession.SessionId -Command $command -ErrorAction Stop
        #logMessage -message "Successfully enabled audit logging for vServer $DESTINATION_VSERVER at path /vol/audit_logs"

    } catch {
        handleError -errorMessage $_.Exception.Message
    }
}

ONTAP cyber vault hardening with PowerShell

Creating your file...

Hardening best practices

Manual steps

ONTAP CLI or via automation script