How should you configure two on-prem firewalls to forward logs to Google SecOps via Syslog?

• A. Pull firewall logs using a SecOps feed integration.
• B. Set the Google SecOps URL instance as the Syslog destination.
• C. Deploy a third-party agent (e.g., Bindplane, NXLog) and set it as the Syslog destination.
• D. Deploy a Google Ops Agent and set it as the Syslog destination.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that on‑prem devices—like firewalls—send their logs via Syslog to a local collector, which then forwards them into Google SecOps. A third‑party agent such as BindPlane or NXLog serves as that Syslog destination, receiving the firewall’s Syslog messages, handling any formatting and reliability concerns, and securely pushing them to Google SecOps. This bridging role is essential because most network devices don’t speak Google SecOps ingestion protocols directly and aren’t designed to be managed as direct Syslog endpoints for cloud services. Using a dedicated agent ensures compatibility, secure transport (often TLS), and reliable delivery, while also allowing you to normalize or filter logs as needed.

The Google Ops Agent, while powerful for host-based log collection on Google Cloud or on supported on‑prem servers, isn’t intended to act as a Syslog endpoint for network appliances. Directly pointing firewalls to a SecOps URL or having SecOps pull logs from devices isn’t the typical, reliable path for on‑prem devices, which is why the bridging approach with a third‑party agent is the recommended solution.