Collect Zix Email Encryption logs

This document explains how to ingest Zix Email Encryption logs to Google Security Operations using the Bindplane agent.

Zix Email Encryption (now OpenText ZixEncrypt) is an email encryption and DLP platform for secure email communications and compliance. It generates SMTP transaction logs and encryption event logs on the ZixGateway appliance.

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• A Google SecOps instance
• Windows Server 2016 or later, or Linux host with systemd
• Network connectivity between the Bindplane agent and the Zix Email Encryption appliance
• If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements
• Privileged access to the Zix Email Encryption appliance (ZixGateway) with administrator permissions
• Access to Zix Email Encryption log files (SMTP transaction logs, encryption event logs)

Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file

1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
2. Go to SIEM Settings > Collection Agents.

3. Download the Ingestion Authentication File. Save the file securely on the system where Bindplane will be installed.

Get Google SecOps customer ID

1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
2. Go to SIEM Settings > Profile.

3. Copy and save the Customer IDfrom the Organization Detailssection.

Install the Bindplane agent

Install the Bindplane agent on your Windows or Linux operating system according to the following instructions.

Windows installation

1. Open Command Promptor PowerShellas an administrator.

2. Run the following command:

     msiexec 
     
    / 
    i 
     
    "https://github.com/observIQ/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/observiq-otel-collector.msi" 
     
    / 
    quiet 
    
   

3. Wait for the installation to complete.

4. Verify the installation by running:

    sc query observiq-otel-collector 
   

   The service should show as RUNNING.

Linux installation

1. Open a terminal with root or sudo privileges.

2. Run the following command:

    sudo  
   sh  
   -c  
    " 
    $( 
   curl  
   -fsSlL  
   https://github.com/observiq/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/install_unix.sh ) 
    " 
     
   install_unix.sh 
   

3. Wait for the installation to complete.

4. Verify the installation by running:

    sudo  
   systemctl  
   status  
   observiq-otel-collector 
   

   The service should show as active (running).

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options and troubleshooting, see Bindplane agent installation guide .

Configure Bindplane agent to ingest syslog and send to Google SecOps

Locate the configuration file

• Linux:

   sudo  
  nano  
  /etc/bindplane-agent/config.yaml 
  

• Windows:

   notepad "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\config.yaml" 
  

Edit the configuration file

• Replace the entire contents of config.yaml with the following configuration:

    receivers 
   : 
    
   filelog 
   : 
    
   include 
   : 
    
   - 
    
   /var/log/zix/*.log 
    
   - 
    
   /opt/zix/logs/*.log 
    
   start_at 
   : 
    
   beginning 
   exporters 
   : 
    
   chronicle/zix_email 
   : 
    
   compression 
   : 
    
   gzip 
    
   creds_file_path 
   : 
    
   '/etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json' 
    
   customer_id 
   : 
    
   '<customer_id>' 
    
   endpoint 
   : 
    
   malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com 
    
   log_type 
   : 
    
   ZIX_EMAIL_ENCRYPTION 
    
   raw_log_field 
   : 
    
   body 
    
   ingestion_labels 
   : 
    
   env 
   : 
    
   production 
   service 
   : 
    
   pipelines 
   : 
    
   logs/zix_to_chronicle 
   : 
    
   receivers 
   : 
    
   - 
    
   filelog 
    
   exporters 
   : 
    
   - 
    
   chronicle/zix_email 
   
  

Configuration parameters

Replace the following placeholders:

• Receiver configuration:

  • filelog : The receiver type for collecting log files from disk
  • include : List of file paths or glob patterns to monitor:
    • Linux: /var/log/zix/*.log or /opt/zix/logs/*.log
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\Zix\logs\*.log
    • Adjust the path to match your ZixGateway log file location
  • start_at : Set to beginning to read existing log files from the start, or end to only read new entries

• Exporter configuration:

  • zix_email : Descriptive name for the exporter
  • creds_file_path : Full path to ingestion authentication file:
    • Linux: /etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\ingestion-auth.json
  • <customer_id> : Customer ID from the previous step
  • endpoint : Regional endpoint URL:
    • US: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
    • Europe: europe-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
    • Asia: asia-southeast1-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
    • See Regional Endpoints for complete list
  • ZIX_EMAIL_ENCRYPTION : Log type exactly as it appears in Chronicle
  • ingestion_labels : Optional labels in YAML format (for example, env: production )

• Pipeline configuration:

  • zix_to_chronicle : Descriptive name for the pipeline

Save the configuration file

• After editing, save the file:
  • Linux: Press Ctrl+O , then Enter , then Ctrl+X
  • Windows: Click File > Save

Restart the Bindplane agent to apply the changes

• To restart the Bindplane agent in Linux, run the following command:

   sudo  
  systemctl  
  restart  
  observiq-otel-collector 
  

  1. Verify the service is running:

      sudo  
     systemctl  
     status  
     observiq-otel-collector 
     

  2. Check logs for errors:

      sudo  
     journalctl  
     -u  
     observiq-otel-collector  
     -f 
     

• To restart the Bindplane agent in Windows, choose one of the following options:

  • Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator:

     net stop observiq-otel-collector && net start observiq-otel-collector 
    

  • Services console:

    1. Press Win+R , type services.msc , and press Enter.
    2. Locate observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector.
    3. Right-click and select Restart.

    4. Verify the service is running:

        sc query observiq-otel-collector 
       

    5. Check logs for errors:

          
        type 
         
        "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\log\collector.log" 
        
       

Configure Zix Email Encryption log collection

The Bindplane agent collects log files directly from the ZixGateway appliance file system.

Verify log file locations

1. Sign in to the ZixGatewaymanagement console.
2. Go to Monitoring > Logs.

3. Verify the log file directory:

   • Linux: /var/log/zix/ or /opt/zix/logs/
   • Windows: C:\Program Files\Zix\logs\

4. Confirm that SMTP transaction logs and encryption event logs are being written to the expected location.

5. Update the include paths in the Bindplane agent config.yaml if the log directory differs from the defaults.

UDM mapping table

Log Field	UDM Mapping	Logic
intermediary	intermediary	Merged from intermediary
relay_host	intermediary.hostname	Value copied directly from relay_host
relay_ip	intermediary.ip	Merged from relay_ip
relay_port	intermediary.port	Value from relay_port converted to integer
message_details	metadata.description	Value copied directly from message_details in smtp, smtpd, cleanup, or error blocks
principal_hostname, sender_email	metadata.event_type	Set to "EMAIL_TRANSACTION" if principal_hostname and sender_email not empty, else "NETWORK_CONNECTION" if principal_hostname and (target_host or target_ip) not empty, else "STATUS_UPDATE" if principal_hostname not empty and (target_host or target_ip) empty, else "GENERIC_EVENT"
	metadata.product_name	Set to "Zix Email Encryption"
	metadata.vendor_name	Set to "Zix"
message	network.application_protocol	Set to "SMTP" if message matches smtp or smtpd
sender_email	network.email.from	Value copied directly if sender_email matches email regex
subject	network.email.subject	Merged from subject
recipient_email	network.email.to	Merged from recipient_email if matches email regex
data_size	network.received_bytes	Value from data_size converted to uinteger
tls_cipher	network.tls.cipher	Value copied directly from tls_cipher
cert_data	network.tls.client.certificate.issuer	Value copied directly from cert_data
daemon	principal.application	Value copied directly from daemon
principal_hostname	principal.hostname	Value copied directly from principal_hostname
file	principal.process.file.full_path	Value copied directly from file
pid	principal.process.pid	Value copied directly from pid
	principal.resource.type	Set to "CLEANUP_MESSAGE_ID" if daemon is cleanup
sender_email	principal.user.user_display_name	Value copied directly if sender_email does not match email regex
user_id	principal.user.userid	Value from user_id if not empty, else from user_id in else block
security_result	security_result	Merged from security_result
security_action	security_result.action	Merged from security_action
failure_reason	security_result.description	Value copied directly from failure_reason
security_summary	security_result.summary	Value copied directly from security_summary
file	target.file.full_path	Value copied directly from file
target_host	target.hostname	Value copied directly from target_host
target_ip	target.ip	Merged from target_ip
target_port	target.port	Value from target_port converted to integer
message_id	target.resource.name	Value copied directly from message_id
recipient_email	target.user.user_display_name	Value copied directly if recipient_email does not match email regex

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