# ElasticSearch security set up documentation is Byzantine
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-security-set-up-documentation-is-byzantine/268722
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Tags:** elastic-stack-security
**Created:** [March 30, 2021, 4:21am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-security-set-up-documentation-is-byzantine/268722 "2021-03-30T04:21:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lachlan.simpson](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lachlan.simpson)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2021, 4:21am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-security-set-up-documentation-is-byzantine/268722/1 "2021-03-30T04:21:17Z")
I am setting up a testing instance in house. Single node, with proof of concept reporting. Elastic, Kibana, Beats, using the free software only.
There is no indication that ElasticSearch is securable on the free license - the [minimal set up](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.12/security-minimal-setup.html#security-minimal-setup) requires `xpack.security.enabled: true` and [X-Pack apparently expires after a 30 day trial](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.12/setup-xpack.html)?
Am I missing something or is ElasticSearch free in testing only. Any move to production requires a license?
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### Author:  [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2021, 4:41am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-security-set-up-documentation-is-byzantine/268722/2 "2021-03-30T04:41:45Z")
TLS, Native Authentication and Authorization is all available with the Basic / Free Distribution, no subscription required.
You can absolutely run that in production.
See [Here](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.12/configuring-stack-security.html) for the docs / overview.
[Here](https://github.com/bvader/howtos/blob/master/basic-security-elasticsearch/README.md) is a walkthrough I wrote up of setting up a single node stack with a basic license.
If you want to do more sophisticated security like SAML, or document / field level security those do require a subscription.
See [here](https://www.elastic.co/subscriptions) for the features of Free / Basic as well as the other subscription levels.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2021, 4:42am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-security-set-up-documentation-is-byzantine/268722/3 "2021-04-27T04:42:21Z")
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