Splunk Enterprise Guide on Kali Linux: Installation and Usage

Splunk Enterprise, renowned for its prowess in data analysis, serves as a cornerstone for businesses and organizations navigating the complexities of modern data ecosystems. Offering a robust platform for searching, monitoring, and analyzing vast volumes of machine-generated data in real-time, Splunk Enterprise empowers users to extract actionable insights and make informed decisions.

Splunk Enterprise is commonly used in Security Operations Centers (SOC) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems. It plays a crucial role in aggregating, analyzing, and correlating security-related data from various sources to detect and respond to security incidents effectively. Splunk Enterprise’s versatile capabilities make it well-suited for tasks such as threat hunting, incident response, compliance monitoring, and log management, all of which are essential functions within SOC/SIEM environments.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll not only cover the installation of Splunk Enterprise on Kali Linux within an Oracle VM but also delve into its practical usage. By leveraging the virtualized environment of Kali Linux, users gain the flexibility to explore Splunk’s myriad functionalities while seamlessly integrating them into their workflows. It’s crucial to note that we’ll be utilizing the free trial version of Splunk Enterprise, providing access to its features for a duration of 60 days. This trial period offers ample opportunity to explore Splunk’s capabilities and evaluate its suitability for various use cases, spanning from security monitoring to operational intelligence.

Prerequisites:

Before proceeding with the installation and usage of Splunk Enterprise on Kali Linux, ensure the following:

• Oracle VM VirtualBox is installed.
• The Kali Linux virtual machine is set up and operational within Oracle VM VirtualBox.

With these prerequisites met, let’s embark on a journey to install Splunk Enterprise on Kali Linux and uncover the transformative potential of this powerful tool.

Signing up and Downloading Splunk Enterprise

Go to Splunk Website:

• Open firefox web browser inside the Kali VM and navigate to splunk.com.

Create an Account:

• Click on the “Sign Up” button.

• Follow the prompts to create an account. You can use your personal email if you don’t have a business email.

Verify Your Email:

• Once you’ve filled out the required information, Splunk will send a verification email to the address you provided.
• Check your email inbox and click on the verification link to confirm your account.

Log In to Splunk:

• After verifying your email, return to the Splunk website.
• Click on the “Log In” button and enter the credentials you created during the sign-up process.

Access Free Trials & Downloads:

• Once logged in, navigate to the “Products” section of the website.
• From the dropdown menu, select “Free Trials & Downloads.”

Download Splunk Enterprise:

• Scroll down the page until you find Splunk Enterprise.
• Click on the “Get My Free Trial” button next to Splunk Enterprise.

Choose Linux and Download .deb File:

• On the Splunk Enterprise download page, select “Linux” as your operating system.
• Choose the “.deb” file format for Debian-based systems like Ubuntu and Kali Linux.

Agree to Terms and Access Program:

• Review the terms of the Splunk Free Trial License Agreement.
• Check the box to accept the terms.
• Click on the “Access program” button to initiate the download of the Splunk Enterprise .deb file.

Save the Downloaded File:

• Once the download is complete, save the Splunk Enterprise .deb file to a location on your system where you can easily access it.

Install Splunk Enterprise On Kali Linux

• Navigate to the directory where the splunk .deb file is saved, typically the Downloads folder.
• Open a terminal on your Kali Linux VM and change directory to the location of the downloaded file.
• Install Splunk Enterprise using the following command:

sudo dpkg -i ./<version_of_the_splunk_.deb_downloaded>

• Once Splunk Enterprise is installed, it will be located in the /opt directory.

Start Splunk Enterprise Service:

• Start the Splunk Enterprise service using the following command:

sudo /opt/splunk/bin/splunk start

• Press the Enter key continuously until the start progress is complete. You’ll then be prompted with “Do you agree with the license [y/n]?” Respond with “y” to agree to the license terms

Configure Splunk Enterprise:

• After agreeing to the license, you’ll be prompted to create a username and password for accessing Splunk Enterprise.
• Choose a username and password that you’ll easily remember.

Access Splunk Enterprise Web Interface:

• Splunk Enterprise is now running and accessible through a web browser.

• Open a web browser on your Kali Linux VM.
• In the address bar, enter the following URL:

http://<kali_vm_ip_address>:8000

• Replace <kali_vm_ip_address> with the IP address of your Kali Linux VM.
• You’ll be directed to the Splunk Enterprise login page. Enter the username and password you created earlier to sign in.

Explore Splunk Enterprise:

• Once logged in, you’ll be greeted with the Splunk Enterprise home page. From here, you can begin exploring and utilizing its various features for data analysis, visualization, and more.