cyberstrikeus 1.6 Ensure clocks are synchronized on all nodes
Profile Applicability
- Level 1 - Cassandra on Linux
Description
Enabling Network Time Protocol (NTP), or some equivalent way, to keep clocks on all nodes in sync is critical.
Rationale
Cassandra decides which data is most current between all of the nodes in the cluster based on timestamps. It is paramount to ensure all clocks are in-sync, otherwise the most current data may not be returned or worse, marked for deletion.
Audit
Depending on the Linux installation this may be checked by executing the following command on each node:
ps -aef | grep ntp
OR
ps -aef | grep chronyd
OR
timedatectl status | grep NTP
If NTP is not configured or clocks are out-of-sync then this is a finding.
Remediation
Install and start the time protocol on every node in the Cassandra cluster.
CIS Controls
Controls Version v8:
- 8.4 Standardize Time Synchronization
- Standardize time synchronization. Configure at least two synchronized time sources across enterprise assets, where supported.
Controls Version v7:
- 6.1 Utilize Three Synchronized Time Sources
- Use at least three synchronized time sources from which all servers and network devices retrieve time information on a regular basis so that timestamps in logs are consistent.
Profile
- Level 1 | Manual