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NG SIEM - Salesforce Integration via JWT Authentication

Introduction

The Salesforce integration enables you to monitor your Salesforce instance. Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that supports businesses in managing marketing, sales, commerce, service, and IT teams from a unified platform accessible from anywhere.

Recommendation - Username / Password Authentication Integration

Create New User Account
  • Go to Home page of Salesforce and click Setup in the top right menu bar.
  • In the left side you will see a Quick Find search textbox, type Users.
  • Click Users and it will redirect you to the Users setup page.
  • Click New User button and fill up the form:
    • First Name
    • Last Name
    • Email
    • Set User License to "Salesforce"
    • Choose an appropriate Profile (see below)
      • Profile and Permission Set Configuration
        • Create a custom profile or clone an existing minimal profile:
          • Clone the "Standard User" profile and name it something like "Log Extraction Service" or whatever you prefer.
          • Remove unnecessary permissions, keeping only:
            • API Enabled
            • View Setup and Configuration
            • Specific object permissions for logs you need to extract
        • Essential permissions for log extraction:
          • API Enabled - Required for programmatic access
          • View All Data - If you need comprehensive log access
          • Read access to specific objects containing log data
    • Scroll down to the bottom and check the box that says Generate new password and notify user immediately.
    • Click Save.
  • Open the account and set a new password.

Please take note of the Email Address, Username and Password associated with this account, as they will be required during the API and integration setup process.

Salesforce instance URL

This is the URL of your Salesforce Organization.

  • Salesforce Classic: Given the example URL https://na9.salesforce.com/home/home.jsp, the Salesforce Instance URL is extracted as https://na9.salesforce.com.

  • Salesforce Lightning: The instance URL is available under your user name in the View Profile tab. Use the correct instance URL in case of Salesforce Lightning because it uses *.lightning.force.com but the instance URL is *.salesforce.com.

Ensure the Instance URL is noted, as it will be used in both API creation and integration steps.

Client Key and Client Secret for Authentication

To use this integration, you need to create a new Salesforce Application using OAuth. Follow these steps to create a connected application in Salesforce:

  • Log in to Salesforce with the user credentials you want to collect data with.

  • Click Setup in the top right menu bar. 

  • In the Quick Find textbox, search for App Manager or you can scroll down to PLATFORM TOOLS and select App Manager.
  • In the upper right corner, choose the New External Client App.

  • Provide a name for the connected application. This name will be displayed in the App Manager and on its App Launcher tile.

  • Enter the API name. The default is a version of the name without spaces. Only letters, numbers, and underscores are allowed. If the original app name contains any other characters, edit the default name.

  • Enter the email address of the new account you created earlier.

  • Under the API (Enable OAuth Settings) section, check the box for Enable OAuth Settings.

  • In the Callback URL field, enter the instance URL as specified in Salesforce instance URL. Example URL: https://na9.salesforce.com

  • Select the following OAuth scopes to apply to the connected app:

    • Manage user data via APIs (api)

    • Perform requests at any time (refresh_token, offline_access)

    • (Optional) If you encounter any permission issues during data collection, add the Full access (full) scope.

  • Select Require Secret for the Web Server Flow to require the app's client secret in exchange for an access token.

  • Select Require Secret for Refresh Token Flow to require the app's client secret in the authorization request of a refresh token and hybrid refresh token flow.

  • Then scroll up above the Callback URL on the App Settings you will see the Consumer Key and Secret button, click it.
  • It will create another tab. Verify the user account by entering the Verification Code.
  • Copy the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret from the Consumer Details section. These values should be used as the Client ID and Client Secret, respectively, in the integration.
  • Close that tab and go back to the External Client App Manager. Click Save.

Username

  • Provide the Username of the new account that you created earlier.

Password

  • Please provide the password you set upon accessing the new account.

Note: When using a Salesforce instance with a security token, append the token directly to your password without spaces or special characters. For example, if your password is Password and your security token is 12345 enter: Pasword12345

Token URL:

NOTE: Salesforce Lightning users must use URL with *.salesforce.com domain (similar to the Salesforce instance URL) instead of *.lightning.force.com because the Salesforce API does not work with *.lightning.force.com.


API Version

To find the API version:

  • Go to the search textbox and type Api Version. Click the first Api Version on the list.

Reference: https://www.integrate.io/blog/salesforce-rest-api-integration/

Please provide these credentials and send it to CyTech Support:

  • Salesforce instance URL

  • Client key and client secret for authentication

  • Username

  • Password

  • Token URL

  • API version (Optional)

Recommendation - JWT Integration

This guide provides a step-by-step process for setting up a secure integration between Salesforce and AQUILA. The focus is on using JWT (JSON Web Token) Bearer authentication, which is recommended for server-to-server communication as it avoids sharing passwords. We'll cover preparing Salesforce (where you generate and upload required credentials) and entering those into AQUILA configuration fields.

Prerequisites

  • Salesforce Account: Admin access to create users and apps. Ensure your org supports API access (most do).
  • AQUILA Setup: Access to Aquila (for managed agents).
  • Tools Needed: OpenSSL (free, install via your OS: e.g., apt install openssl on Linux, or download for Windows/Mac).
  • Dedicated Integration User: Create a Salesforce user specifically for this (not your personal account) with minimal permissions:
    • License: Salesforce Integration (API-only).
    • Permissions: "API Enabled" (required); add "View Event Log Files" if ingesting logs.


Create a Connected App in Salesforce

This app generates the Client ID and links your certificate for JWT trust.

  1. Log in to Salesforce > Click the gear icon > Setup.
  2. Search for Setup > External Client Apps> Enable and click button New Connected Apps.
  3. Fill in:
    • Connected App Name: e.g., "AQUILA JWT Integration".
    • API Name: Auto-fills (edit if needed).
    • Contact Email: Your integration user's email.
  4. Under API (Enable OAuth Settings):
    • Check Enable OAuth Settings.
    • Callback URL: Enter http://localhost (placeholder; not used in JWT).
    • Selected OAuth Scopes: Add api, refresh_token, offline_access. (Optional: Add full for broader access if needed.)
    • Check Use digital signatures > Upload salesforce_cert.crt.
  5. Do not check any "Require Secret" options (no secret needed for JWT).
  6. Click Save (wait 2-10 minutes for activation).
  7. On the app page, copy the Consumer Key—this is your Client ID.
  8. Click Manage > Edit Policies > Set Permitted Users to "Admin approved users are pre-authorized".
  9. Assign the app to your integration user: Under Profiles or Permission Sets, add your user's profile.

Now Salesforce is ready—note your Instance URL (e.g., from your Salesforce homepage: https://your-instance.my.salesforce.com).

Please provide these credentials and send it to CyTech Support:

  • Username

  • Client ID

  • JWT Authentication Audience URL

  • JWT Authentication Client Key Path

Summary Table
Field Username–Password JWT
Client ID ✔ required ✔ required
Client Secret ✔ required ❌ not used
Username ✔ required ✔ required
Password ✔ required ❌ not used
Private Key Path ❌ ✔ required
Audience URL ❌ ✔ required
Token URL ✔ required ❌ leave blank
API Version optional optional

If you need further assistance, kindly contact our support at support@cytechint.com for prompt assistance and guidance.

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