Introduction
VPN logins from restricted or high-risk countries can indicate a potential security breach or unauthorized access attempt. Manual investigation of such events is time-consuming and leaves organizations vulnerable. The Restricted Country VPN Login Detection and Response playbook automates the detection, analysis, and response to suspicious VPN login attempts, enhancing SecOps efficiency and minimizing response times.
Challenges Faced
Geolocation Awareness: Identifying whether an IP originates from a restricted country is a tedious task.
Delayed Response: Manual IP reputation checks and firewall blocking create delays in mitigating potential threats.
Complex Workflows: Coordinating alert dispositions, severity adjustments, and analyst notifications can lead to oversight.
Resource-Intensive Investigations: Analysts spend significant time investigating clean IPs, reducing focus on critical tasks.
How SIRP Solves This
The Restricted Country VPN Login Detection and Response playbook leverages automation to streamline the handling of suspicious VPN logins.
Geolocation of IP Addresses
Upon receiving a "Suspicious VPN Login" alert from the SIEM, the playbook geolocates the IP to identify whether it originates from a restricted country.
IP Reputation Analysis
The playbook checks the IP's reputation using sources like IPInfo and AlienVault OTX to determine whether the IP is malicious.
Automated Firewall Blocking
If the IP is found to be malicious:
The IP is immediately blocked on the Juniper SRX Firewall.
The alert severity is changed to High.
A notification is sent to analysts to confirm user activity and potentially disable the VPN ID.
Investigation for Clean IPs
If the IP is determined to be clean:
The alert disposition is changed to Investigation.
The severity is updated to High.
Analysts receive a notification to investigate further and confirm user activity.
Continuous Alert Management
The playbook ensures all actions—blocking, status updates, and notifications—are logged for complete visibility and auditability.
Playbook Prerequisites
SIEM Rule Configuration: A rule must be in place to generate "Suspicious VPN Login" alerts for restricted countries.
Playbook Integrations
IPInfo: Provides geolocation data for the IP address.
AlienVault OTX: Delivers reputation data for the IP.
Juniper SRX Firewall: Automates IP blocking on the network firewall.
SIRP: Handles notifications, severity updates, and disposition changes.
Playbook Inputs
IP: The suspicious IP address to be analyzed.
Playbook Outputs
IP Geolocation: Determines the geographic origin of the IP address.
IP Reputation: Analyzes whether the IP is malicious or clean.
Notification to Analyst: Sends alerts for further action or confirmation.
IP Blocked on Firewall: Automatically blocks malicious IPs.
Change Alert Severity: Adjusts alert severity to reflect the potential threat level.
Change Alert Disposition: Updates the disposition to "Investigation" for clean IPs.
Change Alert Status: Tracks the lifecycle of the alert for audit purposes.
The SIRP Playbook
Key Benefits
Accelerated Response Time: Automation reduces delays in identifying and mitigating suspicious VPN logins.
Minimized Analyst Workload: Analysts focus only on actionable cases, saving time and effort.
Enhanced Security Posture: Quick identification and blocking of malicious IPs prevent potential breaches.
Improved Coordination: Centralized playbook actions streamline workflows across tools and teams.
FAQs
Can this playbook integrate with other firewalls or geolocation services?
Yes, the playbook is designed to work with multiple tools and can integrate with other firewalls or geolocation services as needed.
What happens if the analyst does not confirm the VPN user activity?
The playbook leaves the alert in "Investigation" status, allowing the SOC team to continue monitoring or escalate if necessary.
Can the severity level be adjusted automatically for specific IP ranges?
Yes, severity adjustments can be customized based on organizational policies and threat intelligence.