In today’s business environment, the term “cybersecurity” is increasingly familiar. Companies are grappling with a rising tide of cyberattacks, ranging from ransomware to sophisticated phishing schemes. So, how can you stay one step ahead of these threats? A robust cybersecurity strategy is essential, and a key component of this strategy is event logging—something that not all business owners are aware of.
Think of event logging as a digital detective. What does it do? By tracking activities and events across your IT systems, it helps you identify potential security breaches and respond quickly to them. As your managed IT service provider, we’re here to assist you. We can help you understand the importance of event logging and implement best practices to protect your network effectively.
What Is Event Logging?
Event logging is the act of tracking all events that happen within your IT systems. “Event” can be many different things, such as:
- Login attempts
- File access
- Software installs
- Network traffic
- Denial of access
- System changes
- And many others
Event logging involves tracking various activities and adding a timestamp to each entry. This creates a comprehensive overview of what is happening in your IT ecosystem. By maintaining this ongoing record, you can promptly detect and respond to potential threats.
Why is it critical to track and log all these events?
- Detect suspicious activity by monitoring user behavior and system events.
- Respond quickly to incidents by providing a clear record of what happened in a breach.
- Meet regulations that require businesses to maintain accurate records of system activities.
Best Practices to Use Event Logging Effectively
Effective event logging relies on following best practices. Here are standard guidelines to assist both beginners and those looking to enhance their existing event-logging processes.
Log What Matters Most
Let’s be honest: you don’t need to track every digital action. Logging every single activity on your network can create an overwhelming amount of data that’s difficult to analyze. Instead, concentrate on the events that truly matter—those that can indicate security breaches and compliance risks.
The most important things to log are:
- Logins and Logouts: Keep tabs on who’s accessing your systems and when. This includes failed attempts, password changes, and new user accounts.
- Accessing Sensitive Data: Track who’s peeking at your most valuable information. Logging file and database access helps spot unauthorized snooping.
- System Changes: Keep a record of any changes to your system. Including software installations, configuration tweaks, and system updates. This helps you stay on top of changes and identify potential backdoors.
Event logging is much more manageable when you start with the most critical areas. This also makes it easier for small businesses.
Centralize Your Logs
Imagine trying to solve a puzzle with pieces scattered across different rooms—it’s pure chaos! This is similar to the challenge of managing multiple logs from various devices and systems. Centralizing your logs can transform your process. A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system collects and consolidates logs from different devices, servers, and applications into one centralized location.
This makes it easier to:
- Spot patterns: Connect the dots between suspicious activities across different systems.
- Respond faster: Have all the evidence you need at your fingertips. This is helpful when an incident strikes.
- Get a complete picture: See your network as a whole. This makes it easier to identify vulnerabilities.
Ensure Logs Are Tamper-Proof
It’s important to protect your event logs! Attackers love to cover their tracks by deleting or altering logs. That’s why it’s vital to make your logs tamper-proof.
Here are some tips:
- Encrypt your logs: Lock them down with encryption. This makes them unreadable to unauthorized eyes.
- Use WORM storage: Once a log is written, it’s locked in place, preventing changes or deletions.
- Use strong access controls: Limit who can see and change your logs to trusted personnel only.
Tamper-proof logs provide an accurate record of events even if a breach occurs. They also keep the bad guys from seeing all your system activity tracking.
Establish Log Retention Policies
Keeping logs forever isn’t practical (or always necessary). But deleting them too soon can be risky, too. That’s why you need clear log retention policies.
Here are some things to consider:
- Compliance requirements: Some industries have specific rules about how long to keep logs.
- Business needs: How long do you need logs to investigate incidents or for auditing?
- Storage capacity: Make sure your log retention policy doesn’t overwhelm your storage.
Strike the right balance with retention. You want to ensure you have the data you need without sacrificing performance.
Check Logs Regularly
Event logging is most effective when used actively. Avoid the “set and forget” approach with your logs; instead, check them regularly. This practice helps you identify anomalies and recognize suspicious patterns. Additionally, it enables you to respond to threats before they escalate into serious issues. Consider using security software to help automate this monitoring process.
Here’s how to do it effectively:
- Set up automated alerts: Get notified immediately of critical events. Such as failed logins or unauthorized access.
- Perform periodic reviews: Dive into your logs regularly. Look for patterns that might show a threat.
- Correlate events: Use your SIEM to connect the dots between different activities. It can reveal more complex attacks.
Need Help with Event Logging Solutions?
As a trusted managed IT service provider, we’re here to support you. We can help you install these practices and ensure your business stays protected.
Give us a call or email to schedule a chat.