Entity fields
The entity fields provide a standardized way to represent and categorize different types of components within an IT environment, including those that don't have dedicated field sets in ECS. An entity represents a discrete, identifiable component that can be described by a set of attributes and maintains its identity over time.
| Field | Description | Level |
|---|---|---|
| entity.attributes.known_redirects | This field is beta and subject to change. Known redirect URIs or URLs associated with this entity. Typically applicable to Service entities. type: keyword Note: This field should contain an array of values. |
extended |
| entity.attributes.managed | This field is beta and subject to change. Indicates whether the entity is managed by an external administration or control system. Typically applicable to Host and Service entities. type: boolean |
extended |
| entity.attributes.mfa_enabled | This field is beta and subject to change. Indicates whether multi-factor authentication is enabled for this entity. Typically applicable to User entities. type: boolean |
extended |
| entity.attributes.oauth_consent_restriction | This field is beta and subject to change. Restriction applied to OAuth consent for this entity (for example admin_only, verified_only, unrestricted). Typically applicable to Service entities.type: keyword |
extended |
| entity.attributes.permissions | This field is beta and subject to change. Action-level permissions associated with this entity (not roles or groups). Typically applicable to User, Host, and Service entities. type: keyword Note: This field should contain an array of values. |
extended |
| entity.attributes.storage_class | This field is beta and subject to change. The storage tier or class assigned to an object storage resource (for example S3/GCS/Azure object tiers). Common examples include STANDARD, STANDARD_IA, GLACIER, COLDLINE. Typically applicable to Service entities.type: keyword |
extended |
| entity.behavior | This field is beta and subject to change. A set of ephemeral characteristics of the entity, derived from observed behaviors during a specific time period. Usually boolean field data type. Use this field set when you need to capture and track ephemeral characteristics of an entity for advanced searching, correlation of normalized values across different providers/sources and entity types. type: object |
extended |
| entity.display_name | This field is beta and subject to change. An optional field used when a pretty name is desired for entity-centric operations. This field should not be used for correlation with *.name fields for entities with dedicated field sets (for example, host).type: keyword Multi-fields: * entity.display_name.text (type: match_only_text) |
extended |
| entity.id | A unique identifier for the entity. When multiple identifiers exist, this should be the most stable and commonly used identifier that: 1) persists across the entity's lifecycle, 2) ensures uniqueness within its scope, 3) is commonly used for queries and correlation, and 4) is readily available in most observations (logs/events). For entities with dedicated field sets (for example, host, user), this value should match the corresponding *.id field. Alternative identifiers (for example, ARNs values in AWS, URLs) can be preserved in the raw field. type: keyword |
core |
| entity.last_seen_timestamp | This field is beta and subject to change. Indicates the date/time when this entity was last "seen," usually based upon the last event/log that is initiated by this entity. type: date |
extended |
| entity.lifecycle.last_activity | This field is beta and subject to change. Timestamp of the most recent action performed by or attributed to this entity (active use). Distinct from entity.last_seen_timestamp, which records when the entity was last observed in data; last_activity implies the entity was active, not only seen. Typically applicable to User, Host, and Service entities.type: date |
extended |
| entity.metrics | This field is beta and subject to change. Field set for any fields containing numeric entity metrics. These use dynamic field data type mapping. type: object |
extended |
| entity.name | This field is beta and subject to change. The name of the entity. The keyword field enables exact matches for filtering and aggregations, while the text field enables full-text search. For entities with dedicated field sets (for example, host), this field should mirrors the corresponding .name value.type: keyword Multi-fields: entity.name.text (type: match_only_text) |
core |
| entity.raw | This field is beta and subject to change. Original, unmodified fields from the source system. Usually flattened field data type. While the attributes field should be used for normalized fields requiring advanced queries, this field preserves all source metadata with basic search capabilities. type: object |
extended |
| entity.reference | This field is beta and subject to change. A URI, URL, or other direct reference to access or locate the entity in its source system. This could be an API endpoint, web console URL, or other addressable location. Format can vary by entity type and source system. type: keyword |
extended |
| entity.source | This field is beta and subject to change. The module or integration that provided this entity data (similar to event.module). type: keyword |
core |
| entity.sub_type | This field is beta and subject to change. The specific type designation for the entity as defined by its provider or system. This field provides more granular classification than the type field. Examples: aws_s3_bucket, gcp_cloud_storage_bucket, azure_blob_container would all map to entity type bucket. hardware , virtual , container , node , cloud_instance would all map to entity type host.type: keyword example: aws_s3_bucket |
extended |
| entity.type | This field is beta and subject to change. A standardized high-level classification of the entity. This provides a normalized way to group similar entities across different providers or systems. Example values: bucket, database, container, function, queue, host, user, application, session, cloud, orchestrator, etc. If an entity is nested under a top-level namespace like host or cloud, or similar, its type array should include the matching value — for example, host or cloud.type: keyword Note: This field should contain an array of values. Important: The field value must be one of the following: bucket, database, container, function, queue, host, user, application, service, session, cloud, orchestrator To learn more about when to use which value, visit the page allowed values for entity.type |
core |
The entity fields are expected to be nested at:
cloud.entityentity.targethost.entityorchestrator.entityservice.entityuser.entity
Note also that the entity fields may be used directly at the root of the events.
| Location | Field Set | Description |
|---|---|---|
entity.relationships.administers.* |
entity_reference | Entities this entity administers in an IAM or ops sense. |
entity.relationships.depends_on.* |
entity_reference | Entities this entity requires for operation. |
entity.relationships.owns.* |
entity_reference | Identifiers of assets or identities this entity owns. |
entity.relationships.supervises.* |
entity_reference | Identities this entity supervises in a reporting or org-chart sense. |
entity.target.* |
entity | Targeted entity of action taken. |