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[DOCS] Endpoint artifact docs clarification (#2516)
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* First draft

- Create new page
- Add new page to the "Endpoint management" TOC

* Rename file/URL

* Enhance individual artifact descriptions

* Add xrefs from individual pages

* Revise tip about endpoint network events

* Initial suggestions from Ben's review

Co-authored-by: Benjamin Ironside Goldstein <[email protected]>

* Singular/plural agreement

Co-authored-by: Benjamin Ironside Goldstein <[email protected]>

* Apply suggestions from code review

* Apply suggestions from Janeen's review

Co-authored-by: Janeen Mikell-Straughn <[email protected]>

* Additional edits, fixes

* Explain preventions

* may --> might

* Update trusted apps screenshot

Co-authored-by: Benjamin Ironside Goldstein <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: Janeen Mikell-Straughn <[email protected]>
(cherry picked from commit 59c53a0)
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joepeeples authored and mergify[bot] committed Oct 18, 2022
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4 changes: 3 additions & 1 deletion docs/management/admin/blocklist.asciidoc
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[chapter]
= Blocklist

The blocklist allows you to prevent specified applications from running on hosts, extending the list of processes that {elastic-defend} considers malicious. This is especially useful for ensuring that known malicious processes aren't accidentally executed by end users.
The blocklist allows you to prevent specified applications from running on hosts, extending the list of processes that {elastic-defend} considers malicious. This helps ensure that known malicious processes aren't accidentally executed by end users.

The blocklist is not intended to broadly block benign applications for non-security reasons; only use it to block potentially harmful applications. To compare the blocklist with other endpoint artifacts, refer to <<endpoint-artifacts>>.

[NOTE]
=====
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36 changes: 35 additions & 1 deletion docs/management/admin/endpoint-artifacts.asciidoc
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[[endpoint-artifacts]]
[chapter]
= Optimize {elastic-defend}

This page is a placeholder for future documentation.
If you encounter problems like incompatibilities with other antivirus software, too many false positive alerts, or excessive storage or CPU usage, you can optimize {elastic-defend} to mitigate these issues.

Endpoint artifacts — such as trusted applications and event filters — and Endpoint exceptions let you modify the behavior and performance of _{elastic-endpoint}_, the component installed on each host that performs {elastic-defend}'s threat monitoring, prevention, and response actions.

The following table explains the differences between several Endpoint artifacts and exceptions, and how to use them:

[cols="2"]
|===

| <<trusted-apps-ov,Trusted application>>
a| *_Prevents {elastic-endpoint} from monitoring a process._* Use to avoid conflicts with other software, usually other antivirus or endpoint security applications.

* Creates intentional blind spots in your security environment — use sparingly!
* Doesn't monitor the application for threats, nor does it generate alerts, even if it behaves like malware, ransomware, etc.
* Doesn't generate events for the application except process events for visualizations.
* Might improve performance, since {elastic-endpoint} monitors fewer processes.
* Might still generate malicious behavior alerts, if the application's process events indicate malicious behavior. To suppress alerts, create <<endpoint-rule-exceptions,Endpoint alert exceptions>>.

| <<event-filters,Event filter>>
a| *_Prevents event documents from being written to {es}._* Use to reduce storage usage in {es}.

Does NOT lower CPU usage for {elastic-endpoint}. It still monitors event data for possible threats, but without writing event data to {es}.

| <<blocklist,Blocklist>>
a| *_Prevents known malware from running._* Use to extend {elastic-defend}'s protection against malicious processes.

NOT intended to broadly block benign applications for non-security reasons.

| <<endpoint-rule-exceptions,Endpoint alert exception>>
a| *_Prevents {elastic-endpoint} from generating alerts or stopping processes._* Use to reduce false positive alerts, and to keep {elastic-endpoint} from preventing processes you want to allow.

Might also improve performance: {elastic-endpoint} checks for exceptions _before_ most other processing, and stops monitoring a process if an exception allows it.

|===
6 changes: 4 additions & 2 deletions docs/management/admin/event-filters.asciidoc
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[chapter, role="xpack"]
= Event filters

Event filters allow you to filter endpoint events that you do not need or want stored in {es} -- for example, high-volume events. By creating event filters, you can optimize your storage in {es}. All endpoint events have the `endpoint.events.network` field.
Event filters allow you to filter endpoint events that you do not need or want stored in {es} -- for example, high-volume events. By creating event filters, you can optimize your storage in {es}.

Event filters do not lower CPU usage on hosts; {elastic-endpoint} still monitors events to detect and prevent possible threats, but without writing event data to {es}. To compare event filters with other endpoint artifacts, refer to <<endpoint-artifacts>>.

NOTE: You must have the built-in `superuser` role to access this feature. For more information, refer to {ref}/built-in-users.html[Built-in users].

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.. Find the event to filter, click the *More actions* menu (*...*), then select *Add Endpoint event filter*.
+
TIP: Since you can only create filters for endpoint events, be sure to filter the Events table to display events generated by the {elastic-endpoint}. +
In the KQL search bar, enter the following query: `event.dataset : endpoint.events.network`.
For example, in the KQL search bar, enter the following query to find endpoint network events: `event.dataset : endpoint.events.network`.

* To create an event filter from the Event filters page:
.. Go to *Manage* -> *Event filters*.
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6 changes: 4 additions & 2 deletions docs/management/admin/trusted-apps.asciidoc
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[chapter, role="xpack"]
= Trusted applications

You can add Windows, macOS, and Linux applications that should be trusted. By adding these trusted applications, you can use {elastic-sec} without compatibility or performance issues with other installed applications on your system. Trusted applications apply only to hosts running {elastic-defend}.
You can add Windows, macOS, and Linux applications that should be trusted, such as other antivirus or endpoint security applications. Trusted applications are designed to help mitigate performance issues and incompatibilities with other endpoint software installed on your hosts. Trusted applications apply only to hosts running the {elastic-defend} integration.

NOTE: You must have the built-in `superuser` role to access this feature. For more information, refer to {ref}/built-in-users.html[Built-in users].

Trusted applications are designed to help mitigate performance issues and incompatibilities with other endpoint software. However, they create blindspots for {elastic-sec}. One avenue attackers use to exploit these blindspots is by DLL (Dynamic Link Library) side-loading, where they leverage processes signed by trusted vendors -- such as antivirus software -- to execute their malicious DLLs. Such activity appears to originate from the trusted vendor's process.
Trusted applications create blindspots for {elastic-defend}, because the applications are no longer monitored for threats. One avenue attackers use to exploit these blindspots is by DLL (Dynamic Link Library) side-loading, where they leverage processes signed by trusted vendors -- such as antivirus software -- to execute their malicious DLLs. Such activity appears to originate from the trusted application's process.

Trusted applications might still generate alerts in some cases, such as if the application's process events indicate malicious behavior. To reduce false positive alerts, add an <<endpoint-rule-exceptions,Endpoint alert exception>>, which prevents {elastic-defend} from generating alerts. To compare trusted applications with other endpoint artifacts, refer to <<endpoint-artifacts>>.

By default, a trusted application is recognized globally across all hosts running {elastic-defend}. If you have a https://www.elastic.co/pricing[Platinum or Enterprise subscription], you can also assign a trusted application to a specific {elastic-defend} integration policy, enabling the application to be trusted by only the hosts assigned to that policy.

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