Logfiles or protocol data provide detailed records of all activities within networks, servers, PCs, or applications. Well-known log data includes system logs from Windows or Linux servers, such as event logs or syslogs, or application logs that provide information on which user performed which action in an application or what errors occurred in a program. Additionally, there are network logs that provide information about IP addresses or port numbers, as well as logs that record security-related events, such as access violations on firewalls or large data transfers.
Logfiles are essentially the digital memory of any system and are, therefore, the most crucial data for a company when it comes to troubleshooting or tracking security-related activities.
Especially in the case of potential security incidents, logfiles serve as a decisive source of information. By analyzing log data, administrators can identify suspicious or unusual activities. For example, denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks can be detected before server systems are taken down. With the help of logfiles, IT managers can interpret sudden spikes in network traffic or a high number of requests from a few IP addresses as potential threats and take appropriate countermeasures to prevent system availability from being compromised.
Another example is failed user logins. Every login attempt is recorded by logs. If a user repeatedly fails to log in with their credentials (username and password), it could be an indication that the login attempts were not made by the actual user but rather by a cybercriminal trying to gain system access.
The amount of log data generated daily in a medium-sized company depends significantly on the number of workstations, user activity, and the volume of network traffic—hundreds of thousands to millions of log entries per day are not uncommon.
At this point, it becomes clear that without technical assistance, even a team of administrators would find it nearly impossible to analyze this volume of log data daily, correlate it, and potentially detect malicious patterns.
This is where security tools for log analysis come into play. These tools help monitor IT infrastructure, detect cyber threats early, and meet security standards. They collect log data from various systems, devices, and networks in a central location, simplifying the analysis and monitoring of activities and large volumes of data. Automated threat detection relies on predefined rules and algorithms to analyze patterns of suspicious activities and potential threats in real-time, recognizing relationships between various potentially threatening events.
In the event of a cyberattack, it is crucial to detect, analyze, and eliminate threats very quickly, ideally within an hour.
Real-time analysis can send appropriate alerts to the responsible administrators, allowing them to act promptly, contain the threat, and initiate countermeasures.
Compliance reports can demonstrate adherence to security standards, ensuring regulatory requirements like the GDPR are met.
A log analysis tool is also indispensable when it comes to forensic investigations. In the case of a cyberattack, it enables a deep forensic analysis to trace the origin, course, and extent of the attack and to identify weaknesses in the system. In such cases, companies can prove whether the attack was due to insufficient security on their end or if it resulted from a third-party breach. This can be crucial in determining liability and the type and amount of possible penalties.
