Installing the OSSEC agent on a CentOS 8 system involves a few key steps to ensure your host is effectively monitored for security threats.
First, you’ll need to prepare the system. This often includes ensuring necessary utilities like WGET are installed and potentially adding software repositories if the OSSEC agent package isn’t available in the default ones.
Next, the process involves downloading the OSSEC agent package. This package typically comes in a compressed format. Once downloaded, you must extract the package contents to a suitable directory.
After extraction, navigate into the extracted directory. The core of the installation is running the provided installation script. This script guides you through the setup process. During the script execution, you will be prompted to configure the agent, specifically pointing it to the IP address or hostname of your OSSEC manager server. This is a critical step as it allows the agent to send security event data to the central server for analysis.
Once the installation and basic configuration are complete, you need to start the OSSEC agent service. You should also enable the service to ensure it automatically starts upon system boot, providing continuous monitoring.
Finally, it’s essential to verify the installation. This involves checking the agent’s status to confirm it is running correctly and communicating with the OSSEC manager. You can typically check the agent logs or the manager UI to see if the agent is reporting. This validation confirms the agent is actively protecting your host by sending security intelligence to your OSSEC environment.
Source: https://kifarunix.com/install-ossec-agent-on-centos-8/
