How to integrate CrowdStrike with SIEM Solutions

Integrating CrowdStrike Falcon with a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution allows organizations to centralize threat data, improve security visibility, and enhance incident response. CrowdStrike Falcon provides real-time threat detection and endpoint activity logs that can be forwarded to SIEM platforms like Splunk, QRadar, ArcSight, and Microsoft Sentinel.

This guide explains how to integrate CrowdStrike Falcon with a SIEM solution using the Falcon SIEM Connector.


Step 1: Prerequisites

Before configuring the integration, ensure you have:
Admin access to the CrowdStrike Falcon Console (https://falcon.crowdstrike.com).
SIEM platform installed and configured (e.g., Splunk, QRadar, ArcSight, Sentinel).
✅ A server or virtual machine to host the Falcon SIEM Connector.


Step 2: Download and Install the Falcon SIEM Connector

  1. Log into the Falcon Console
    • Go to Support > Tool Downloads.
    • Download the Falcon SIEM Connector for your OS (Windows or Linux).
  2. Install the SIEM Connector
    • On Windows, run the installer and follow the setup wizard.
    • On Linux, extract the downloaded file and run
tar -xzf falcon-siem-connector.tar.gz cd falcon-siem-connector sudo ./install.sh

Step 3: Configure the SIEM Connector

  1. Open the SIEM Connector Configuration File
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\CrowdStrike\SIEMConnector\config.json
    • Linux: /etc/crowdstrike-siem/config.json
  2. Modify the Configuration
    • Set the Falcon API credentials (from Falcon Console).
    • Define the SIEM event format (Splunk, JSON, CEF, Syslog).
    • Configure the log forwarding settings.
  3. Example JSON Configuration for SIEM Outputj
{
  "falcon_api": {
    "client_id": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
    "client_secret": "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
  },
  "output": {
    "format": "json",
    "destination": "syslog://your.siem.server:514"
  }
}
  1. Save and Exit the Configuration File.

Step 4: Start and Verify the SIEM Connector

  • Windows
    Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run
net start CrowdStrikeSIEMConnector
  • Linux
    Start the SIEM connector using:
sudo systemctl start crowdstrike-siem
  • Verify Connectivity
    Check if logs are being forwarded to your SIEM by running:
tail -f /var/log/crowdstrike-siem.log

Step 5: Validate Data in the SIEM

  1. Log into your SIEM solution (e.g., Splunk, QRadar, ArcSight).
  2. Search for CrowdStrike Falcon events:
    • Splunk Query:
index=crowdstrike
  1. QRadar AQL Query:
SELECT * FROM events WHERE LOG_SOURCE='CrowdStrike Falcon'
  1. ArcSight Query:
deviceVendor='CrowdStrike' AND deviceProduct='Falcon'
  1. Verify that CrowdStrike logs are appearing in real-time.

Best Practices for SIEM Integration

Enable Only Relevant Event Types – Avoid overwhelming your SIEM with unnecessary data.
Use a Dedicated Log Server – Improve performance by forwarding logs to an intermediary before the SIEM.
Regularly Review SIEM Dashboards – Ensure Falcon threat intelligence is being utilized effectively.