Resolving On-Premises Logging Gaps in Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud
An organization has a Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud deployment in their environment. Cloud logging is working as expected, but logs are not being received from the on-premise network. What action will resolve this issue?
Community Insight
It tests the understanding that while the cloud platform handles analysis, a local sensor is required to collect and forward data from isolated on-premise environments.
This question addresses the architecture of Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud for monitoring private networks, specifically how to ingest telemetry from on-premise sources that cannot reach the cloud directly.
Many candidates incorrectly choose Option D (NetFlow), assuming that appliances can send NetFlow directly to the cloud. In reality, direct NetFlow ingestion to the cloud console is not supported for on-premise sources; a local sensor must act as the collector.
Community Discussion (14 comments)
Comments & Corrections
No comments yet — spotted an error or have a note? Share it below.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
The correct action is to deploy a Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud Sensor on the on-premise network (Option B). According to Cisco's architecture documentation, the Stealthwatch Cloud platform relies on a 'Cloud Sensor' appliance installed within the private network to collect flow data, syslog, and other telemetry from local security devices. This local sensor then securely forwards the aggregated data to the cloud instance for analysis.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A is incorrect because an FTD sensor is primarily used for firewall logs and does not inherently solve the collection gap for general network flows without specific configuration, whereas the dedicated Sensor is the standard component for this role. Option C is incorrect because security appliances generally do not send raw syslogs directly to the cloud console; they send them to the local sensor. Option D is the most common distractor; while NetFlow is the primary data type collected, it must be sent to the local Sensor first, not directly to the Cloud API/Console.Community Comment Notes
The community consensus strongly favors Option B. As noted by user ic0deem and Stevens0103, Cisco's official whitepaper on Stealthwatch Cloud performance confirms that organizations deploying this solution for on-premise awareness require a deployed sensor appliance. User Dorr2737 further clarifies that netflows should be sent to the sensor, not directly to the cloud, reinforcing the architectural boundary.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When studying Cisco Secure Network Analytics or Stealthwatch, distinguish between the Cloud Management plane and the Local Data Collection plane. Always identify if the source is 'on-premise'; if so, look for the 'Sensor' or 'Collector' option rather than direct cloud connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can security appliances send NetFlow directly to Stealthwatch Cloud?
No. On-premise appliances must send NetFlow to a locally deployed Stealthwatch Cloud Sensor, which then forwards it to the cloud.
What is the role of the Stealthwatch Cloud Sensor?
It acts as a local collector for flow, syslog, and event data from on-premise devices, bridging the private network to the cloud analytics engine.