How to secure Kibana with TLS and authentication

Securing Kibana involves enabling TLS for encrypted HTTP traffic and using X-Pack Security for user authentication. This protects sensitive data and controls who can access dashboards and data.

TLS configuration in kibana.yml and certificates ensures HTTPS-only connections. User roles and privileges prevent unauthorized access to indices or features.

A secure Kibana aligns with compliance requirements, maintaining data integrity and user trust.

1. Generate or obtain a TLS certificate and key for Kibana.

   Use a trusted CA for public-facing deployments.

2. Edit /etc/kibana/kibana.yml to enable server.ssl.enabled: true and set certificate paths.

   $ sudo nano /etc/kibana/kibana.yml
   (no direct output)

   Specify server.ssl.certificate and server.ssl.key for TLS.

3. Configure Elasticsearch with X-Pack Security and define users/roles.
4. Add elasticsearch.username and elasticsearch.password in kibana.yml.
5. Restart Kibana.

   $ sudo systemctl restart kibana
   (no output)

   Access Kibana via https:// and log in with a secure user credential.

6. Verify all traffic is encrypted and authenticated.

   Secure Kibana ensures only authorized users see sensitive data.