Configure notifications for alerts

Alert Notifications are ways to send notifications to administrators.

By default, alert notifications are only sent to administrators through user notification in the Management Client. You can also send alerts in the following ways:

E-Mail — Alert notifications are sent as email using an SMTP server.
SMS — Alert notifications are sent as an SMS text message over HTTP, using an SMTP server, or with a script that forwards the message to a third-party tool. You can add multiple SMS Channel Types. If the first SMS channel fails, the subsequent SMS channels are used in the order in which they are listed.
SNMP — The SNMP Trap Code specified in the custom alert is sent using an SNMP server.
Custom Alert Scripts — Alerts are sent for processing to a script you create.

SMS messages sent by script are limited to one line in length. The maximum length of the SMS messages sent by script depends on the third-party tool that is used in sending the messages. The standard character limit for SMS messages is 160 characters. To use a script, install a third-party tool that forwards the SMS messages, such as gnokii, and the drivers for the tool on the same host. If the tool is not installed on the Management Server host, configure the script for sending the alert notifications to access the tool remotely.

Note: If you have installed a third-party tool, make sure that your Firewall Policy or Layer 2 Firewall Policy allows the traffic from the Management Server to the host.

If you want to send alerts in one or more of these ways, you must integrate external components, such as a GSM modem or an SMTP server. This integration is done in the properties of the Management Server element. In an environment with multiple Management Servers, you must define alert notifications for all Management Servers, even if a Management Server does not currently control any Domains.

For more details about the product and how to configure features, click Help or press F1.

Steps

Select Home.
Browse to Others > Management Server.
Right-click the active Management Server, then select Properties.
Click the Notifications tab, then configure one or more notification methods.
Click OK.

Management Server Properties dialog box

Use this dialog box to define Management Server properties.

Option	Definition
General tab
Name	The name of the element.
Installation ID	Shows the unique installation identifier (UIID) for the SMC.
IPv4 Address	Specifies the IPv4 address of the server. The server can have both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address.
IPv6 Address	Specifies the IPv6 address of the server. The server can have both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address.
Resolve	Automatically resolves the IP address of the server.
Location (Optional)	Specifies the location to which the server belongs if there is a NAT device between the server and other SMC components.
Contact Addresses section (All optional settings)
Default	Used by default when a component that belongs to another Location connects to this server.
Exceptions	Allows you to define exceptions to the default contact address. Opens the Exceptions dialog box.
Log Server	Specifies the Log Server to which the server sends its logs.
RADIUS Method (Optional)	Specifies a RADIUS authentication method for authenticating administrators. PAP — Password Authentication Protocol. CHAP — Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol. MSCHAP, MSCHAP 2 — Microsoft versions of the CHAP protocol. We recommend using MSCHAP 2 if the server supports it. EAP-MD5 — Extensible Authentication Protocol with an MD5 Hash. This option is selected by default.
TACACS Method (Optional)	Specifies a TACACS+ authentication method for authenticating administrators. ASCII — American Standard Code for Information Interchange. CAUTION: This authentication method transmits the user name and password as unencrypted plain text. PAP — Password Authentication Protocol. CHAP — Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol. MSCHAP — Microsoft versions of the CHAP protocol. This option is selected by default.
TLS Credentials (Optional)	Specifies the TLS Credentials element that is used for certificate-based authentication of administrators.
TLS Profile (Optional)	Specifies the TLS Profile element that is used for certificate-based authentication of administrators.
Include in Database Replication (Multiple Management Servers only)	When selected, the Management Server is included in database replication between Management Servers for high availability. CAUTION: Leave this option selected unless you have a specific reason to deselect it. Deselecting this option makes the Management Server's database incompatible with the databases of the other Management Servers.
Audit Storage Full	Specifies the action when the Management Server detects that the audit storage is full. Stop Management Server — The Management Server writes an audit entry indicating that the audit storage is full, stops all processes, then shuts down. Overwrite Oldest — The Management Server overwrites audit entries, starting with the oldest audit entries.
Category (Optional)	Includes the element in predefined categories. Click Select to select a category.
Tools Profile	Adds commands to the right-click menu for the element. Click Select to select an element.
Comment (Optional)	A comment for your own reference.

Option	Definition
Notifications tab
E-mail section — Specifies email notification details.
SMTP Server	Select the SMTP Server that is used to send the alert notifications as email. Click Select to select an element.
Sender Name	Enter the name to be used in the From field of the email. If this setting is left blank, the Default Sender Name defined in the SMTP Server Properties is used.
Sender Address	Enter the email address to be used in the From field of the email. If this setting is left blank, the Default Sender Address defined in the SMTP Server Properties is used.
SMS section Click Add to add an element to the table, or Remove to remove the selected element. Click Up or Down to move the selected item up or down.
Name	Shows the name of the channel.
Channel Type	Shows the type of the channel. Script — SMS messages are sent using a custom script. SMTP — SMS messages are sent using an SMTP server. HTTP — SMS messages are sent using HTTP. You can add multiple SMS Channels Types. If the first SMS Channel fails, the subsequent SMS channels are used in the order in which they are listed. Use the Up and Down buttons to change the order of the channels if necessary.
Host/URL/Script	Shows the server, URL, or script used for SMS notification.
Edit	Opens the Channel Properties dialog box for the selected entry.
SNMP section
Gateways	Enter the host name or IP address of the SNMP Gateways to which the alert notifications are sent as SNMP traps. You can specify a list of gateways separated by semicolons. If your SNMP gateway port is not the default port 162, specify the port number by typing a colon and the port after the host name (for example, `snmp-gw:4390`).
Custom Alert Scripts section
Root Path	Enter the root path on the Management Server where custom alert scripts are executed. The default location is `<installation directory>/data/notification`. Do not define the script name here. Add the script name in the Alert Chain at each place you want to call a particular script. You can use multiple scripts.

Option	Definition
SMC Web Access tab
Enable	Enables the feature.
Host Name (Optional)	Enter the host name that the service uses. Leave the field blank to allow requests to any of the server’s host names.
Port Number	Enter the TCP port number that the service listens to. By default, port 8085 is used when SMC Web Access is enabled on the Management Server and port 8083 when enabled on the Web Portal Server. Note: Make sure that the listening port is not in use on the server.
Listen Only on Address (Optional)	If the server has several addresses and you want to restrict access to one address, specify the IP address to use.
Session Timeout	Enter the timeout in seconds after which the session expires. While the session is still active, the administrator does not need to log on again if they close the web browser.
Server Credentials	You must select the TLS Credentials element that is used for HTTPS connections. Click Select to select an element.
Use SSL for session ID (Optional)	Track sessions in your web application. Do not select this option if your network requires you to use cookies or URIs for session tracking.

Option	Definition
SMC API tab
Enable	Enables the feature.
Host Name	Enter the host name that the service uses. Leave the field blank to allow requests to any of the server’s host names. Note: API requests are served only if the API request is made to this host name. To allow API requests to any host name, leave this field blank.
Port Number (Optional)	Enter the TCP port number that the service listens to. By default, port 8082 is used. In Linux, the value of this parameter must always be higher than 1024.
Listen Only on Address (Optional)	If the server has several addresses and you want to restrict access to one address, specify the IP address to use.
Server Credentials	You must select the TLS Credentials element that is used for HTTPS connections. Click Select to select an element.
Generate Server Logs (Optional)	Select if you want to log all file load events for further analysis with external web statistics software.
Use SSL for session ID (Optional)	Track sessions in your web application. Do not select this option if your network requires you to use cookies or URIs for session tracking.

Option	Definition
SMC Downloads tab
Enable	Enables the feature.
ECA Evaluation	To easily deploy Forcepoint Endpoint Context Agent (ECA) to a limited set of users for evaluation purposes, enable the ECA Evaluation feature. For more information, see Knowledge Base article 16193.
Management Client Download	When selected, the Management Server provides the Management Client for download on the SMC Downloads page.
Host Name (Optional)	Enter the host name that the service uses. Leave the field blank to allow requests to any of the server’s host names.
Port Number	Enter the TCP port number that the service listens to. By default, port 8080 is used for new SMC installations, and port 8084 is used when you upgrade the SMC. Note: Make sure that the listening port is not in use on the server.
Listen Only on Address (Optional)	If the server has several addresses and you want to restrict access to one address, specify the IP address to use.
Server Credentials	You must select the TLS Credentials element that is used for HTTPS connections. Click Select to select an element.
Generate Server Logs (Optional)	Select if you want to log all file load events for further analysis with external web statistics software.

Option	Definition
Announcement tab
Display announcement to Web Portal Users	Enables you to display announcements to the administrators who log on to the Web Portal. Enter the announcement in the field. The length is limited to 160 characters. You can add formatting to the announcement with standard HTML tags (which are also included in the character count).

Option	Definition
Connection tab
Proxy Settings
Use proxy server for HTTPS connection	Select if the connection from the Management Server to the Forcepoint servers requires a proxy server.
Proxy address	Defines the address of the HTTP proxy.
Proxy port	Defines the port of the HTTP proxy.
Authenticate to the proxy server	Select if the proxy server requires user authentication.
Proxy user name	Enter the user name for the proxy user.
Proxy user password	Enter the password for the proxy user. By default, passwords and keys are not shown in plain text. To show the password or key, deselect the Hide option.

Option	Definition
Elasticsearch tab The Elasticsearch tab is only visible after you have created an Elasticsearch Cluster element. Important: Forwarding log data to an Elasticsearch cluster is an advanced feature that requires knowledge of how to configure Elasticsearch. You must already have an Elasticsearch cluster deployed and configured in your environment.
Elasticsearch Cluster	Shows the Elasticsearch cluster that receives log data from the SMC server.
Client Authentication Settings	Defines how the connection between the server and the Elasticsearch cluster is secured. Inherited — The SMC server uses the settings defined in the Elasticsearch Cluster element. Override — The SMC server uses custom settings.
TLS Certificate	(When Override is selected.) Specifies the TLS certificate that is used to secure the connection between the SMC server and the Elasticsearch cluster. Use Internal Certificate — The SMC server uses its own internal certificate. Use Imported Certificate — The SMC server uses the specified external certificate. No Client Authentication — The connection is not authenticated.

Option	Definition
Audit Forwarding or Log Forwarding tab Click Add to add a row to the table, or Remove to remove the selected row.
Target Host	The Host element that represents the target host to which data is forwarded. Double-click to open the Select Host dialog box.
Service	Click the cell, then select the network protocol for forwarding data from the drop-down list. For log data in IPFIX or NetFlow v9 format, UDP is the only available network protocol. Note: You might have to define an Access rule that allows traffic to the target host. In this case, make sure that the Service you select is also used as the Service in the Access rule.
Port	The Port that is used for forwarding data. Double-click to edit the cell. The default port is 2055. For log data, the default port used by IPFIX/NetFlow data collectors is 2055. Note: You might have to define an Access rule that allows traffic to the target host. In this case, make sure that the Port you select is also used as the Port in the Access rule.
Format	Click the cell, then select the data forwarding format from the drop-down list. CSV — Forwards in comma separated value format. Short CSV — Forwards truncated data in comma separated value format. (Log Server only) XML — Forwards in XML format. CEF — Forwards in common event format. LEEF — Forwards in log extended event format. NetFlow v9 — Forwards in a format that is compatible with NetFlow v9. (Log Server only) IPFIX — Forwards in a format that is compatible with IPFIX. (Log Server only) McAfee ESM — Forwards in a format that is compatible with McAfee ESM. Forcepoint UEBA — This option is not yet supported. For more information about Forcepoint UEBA, see the Forcepoint UEBA documentation at https://⁠support.forcepoint.com/⁠Documentation.
Filter (Optional)	An optional local filter that defines which data is forwarded. The local filter is only applied to the data that matches the Audit Forwarding or Log Forwarding rule. Double-click to open the Local Filter Properties dialog box.
TLS Profile	Allows you to select a TLS Profile element that contains settings for cryptography, trusted certificate authorities, and the TLS version used in TLS-protected traffic. Double-click to open the Select Element dialog box. The TLS Profile is only available if you have selected TCP with TLS as the Service.
TLS Server Identity (Optional)	(When a TLS Profile is selected) Select the identity of a TLS server to secure the TLS-protected traffic from the Management Server or Log Server to an external syslog server. Double-click to open the TLS Server Identity dialog box.
TLS Certificate Used for Forwarding Logs	Select the certificate for TLS-protected data forwarding. Use Internal Certificate — A Management Server or Log Server certificate (signed by the Internal CA) is used for TLS-protected syslog communication. Use Imported Certificate — A certificate signed by an external CA is used. Click Select to select a certificate or to create a TLS Credentials element. No Client Authentication — The Management Server or Log Server certificate is not authenticated.

Option	Definition
NAT tab (All optional settings)
Firewall	Shows the selected firewall.
NAT Type	Shows the NAT translation type: Static or Dynamic.
Private IP Address	Shows the Private IP Address.
Public IP Address	Shows the defined Public IP Address.
Port Filter	Shows the selected Port Filters.
Comment	An optional comment for your own reference.
Add NAT Definition	Opens the NAT Definition Properties dialog box.
Edit NAT Definition	Opens the NAT Definition Properties dialog box for the selected definition.
Remove NAT Definition	Removes the selected NAT definition from the list.

HTTP SMS Channel Properties dialog box

Use this dialog box to define the properties of an HTTP SMS Channel.

Option	Definition
Name	Specifies the notification channel name.
URL	Specifies the HTTP Gateway URL for sending an SMS.
Use Proxy	When selected, a proxy is used. Host — Enter the host name to use. Port — Enter the port to use.
Protocol (Optional)	Use HTTP 1.1 — Uses the HTTP 1.1 protocol. Method — Select whether to use GET or POST as the method.
HTTP Field Names	Phone Number — Enter the contact phone number. Message — Enter the message to send.
Additional HTTP Fields (Optional)	Includes additional HTTP fields in the SMS. Name — Name of the field. Value — Enter a value for the field.
Add	Adds a row to the table.
Remove	Removes the selected row from the table.
Test	Tests if the SMS messages send correctly.

Script SMS Channel Properties dialog box

Use this dialog box to use a script to send an SMS.

Option	Definition
Name	Specifies the script name.
Script Path	Specifies the full path to the script that sends the SMS, or the relative path from the execution directory.
Execution Path	Specifies the directory in which the script is executed. The execution log is stored in this directory.
Test	Tests if the SMS messages are sent correctly.

SMTP SMS Channel Properties dialog box

Use this dialog box to define the properties of an SMTP SMS Channel.

Option	Definition
Name	Specifies the notification channel name.
SMTP Server	Specifies the SMTP Server that is used to send the notifications. Click Select to select an element.
Account	If required by the SMTP server, specifies the user name for connections to the SMTP server.
Password	If required by the SMTP server, specifies the password for connecting to the SMTP server. By default, passwords and keys are not shown in plain text. To show the password or key, deselect the Hide option.
Local Host Name	Specifies the DNS Local Host Name of the server that sends the SMS notification. If you are configuring SMS notification for Alerts, enter the DNS host name of the Management Server. If you do not enter a DNS host name, the Default Host Name defined in the SMTP Server Properties is used.
Sender E-mail Address (Optional)	Specifies the Sender E-mail Address that is used in the From field of the email. If this setting is left blank, the Default Sender Address in the SMTP Server Properties is used.
Recipient	Specifies the Domain name of the Recipient user or administrator accounts.
Subject	Specifies the Subject for the message.
Test	Tests if the SMS messages are sent correctly.