--- title: Elastic Kibana 8 Security slug: authentication-guides/elastic-kibana-8-security docTags: createdAt: 2026-03-11T00:15:10.634Z --- # Introduction This guide tells you how to authenticate the **Elastic Kibana 8 - Security** connector in Swimlane using one of the supported authentication methods. You will configure Elastic API access, collect the required credentials, and configure the connector asset in Swimlane. # Prerequisites ## Elastic Access Requirements You must have administrative access in Elastic to: - Access the Kibana Security API endpoint - Generate API keys (Elastic Cloud or self-managed) - Create or manage users with appropriate roles - Assign permissions for Cases, Detections, Timelines, and Endpoint actions # Required Credentials During setup, you will collect one of the following credential sets depending on the authentication method used: ## API Key Authentication (Elastic Cloud or Self-Managed) - Kibana URL - Elastic API Key ## HTTP Basic Authentication (On-Premises / Self-Managed) - Kibana URL - Username - Password # Authentication Methods Overview The Elastic Kibana 8 – Security connector supports the following authentication methods: 1. **API Key Authentication** (recommended for Elastic Cloud) 2. **HTTP Basic Authentication** (commonly used for on-prem deployments) # Elastic Setup Elastic authentication steps differ slightly depending on whether you are connecting to **Elastic Cloud** or an **On-Premises Kibana deployment**. ### Generating an API Key (Elastic Cloud / API Key Authentication) Take the following steps to generate an API Key in Kibana: 1. Log in to Kibana with an administrator account. 2. Open the main menu and navigate to: **Stack Management → Security → API Keys** 3. Click **Create API key**. 4. Provide the following: - Key name (example: Swimlane-Turbine-Connector) - Expiration (optional) - Role privileges (must include Security access) 5. Click **Create API key**. 6. Copy the generated key immediately. # Elastic Cloud API Key Formatting Requirement If your API key was generated from within the Elastic Cloud portal, you may need to reformat it before using it in Swimlane. Run the following command to decode the key: `echo "BASE64_VALUE==" | base64 -d` This produces a value similar to: `id:api_key_secret` Then encode it again: `echo -n "id:api_key_secret" | base64` This final encoded value is the correct API Key format required for Swimlane. # Creating a User for Basic Authentication (On-Premises) Take the following steps if using HTTP Basic Authentication: 1. Log in to Kibana as an administrator. 2. Navigate to: **Stack Management → Security → Users** 3. Click **Create user**. 4. Assign roles that allow access to Elastic Security features, such as: - superuser (full access) - kibana\_admin - Security-specific roles for Cases and Detections 5. Set a strong password and save the user. # Connector Configuration in Swimlane Take the following steps to configure the Elastic Kibana 8 – Security connector asset in Swimlane: 1. Log in to **Turbine.** 2. From the left-hand navigation pane, click **ORCHESTRATION → Assets**. 3. Click the plus icon to open the **Configure your Connector Asset **window. 4. Select **Elastic Kibana 8 – Security **from the Asset type list. 5. Fill in the Asset Settings and Asset Input as shown below. ## Configuration - API Key Authentication Use this method for Elastic Cloud or when API keys are preferred. | **Field** | **Description** | **Required** | | --------------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------ | | **url** | Kibana host URL (no trailing slash) | Yes | | **x-apikey** | Elastic API Key | Yes | | **port** | Host port (if not default) | Optional | | **verify\_ssl** | Enable or disable SSL verification | Optional | | **http\_proxy** | Proxy configuration (if required) | Optional | 6\. Click** Create**. ## Configuration – HTTP Basic Authentication Use this method for self-managed Kibana deployments. | **Field** | **Description** | **Required** | | ----------- | ---------------------------------- | ------------ | | url | Kibana host URL | Yes | | username | Kibana username | Yes | | password | Kibana password | Yes | | verify\_ssl | Enable or disable SSL verification | Optional | | http\_proxy | Proxy configuration (if required) | Optional | # Connecting to Elastic Cloud vs On-Premises ### Elastic Cloud Requirements When using Elastic Cloud, you must configure: - url - x-apikey API Key Authentication is strongly recommended. ### On-Premises Requirements When connecting to an on-prem deployment: - The URL must be formatted as: `:` You must configure: - url - username - Password # Troubleshooting If authentication fails, verify the following: ### Invalid API Key - Ensure the API key is active and not expired. - Confirm it has sufficient privileges for Elastic Security APIs. - If generated from Elastic Cloud, ensure it was encoded correctly. ### Host URL Errors If you receive a host validation error: - Remove trailing slashes from the URL. ### 403 Forbidden Errors A 403 response usually means insufficient permissions. Confirm the API key or user role includes access to: - Cases - Detections - Timelines - Endpoint actions **Sources** Elastic Security API Documentation (8.10) [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/security-api-overview.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/security-api-overview.html) **Result: **You have successfully authenticated the **Elastic Kibana 8 - Security connector** in Swimlane using API Key Authentication or HTTP Basic Authentication.