Organizations deal with a lot of information on a daily basis. This is true for any IT infrastructure, as every server, application, database, network and security system leaves logs with records about its operation. These pieces of information may contain clues about what is happening inside the IT environment.
However, simply collecting this information is not enough to be able to use it. With effective log management, organizations can ensure that they do not miss any valuable insights this information may contain.
What is Log Management?
Log management refers to the process of collecting, storing, organizing, monitoring and analyzing the data generated by IT infrastructure logs.
A log may contain information about the time and date of an event, the system which produced it, the user who initiated it, the type of event and whether it was successful or unsuccessful. For example, a web server log would contain data about what web pages were visited. An authentication log would contain information about successful and unsuccessful attempts to log in to different systems.
An effective log management strategy ensures that this information is generated, collected, processed and stored properly, so that it can be reviewed and analyzed when it is necessary.
Importance of Logs for IT Security
When organizations deal with security related issues, logs are often the key to finding out what happened and what is preventing the system from operating correctly.
The first problem that needs to be addressed with log management and IT security is the issue of identifying the source of an attack. Even when an attack is obvious, finding the one responsible for it may not be that easy. For example, a brute force attack leaves traces that are easy to spot. However, if the web server is under such an attack, chances are that it will be unable to serve its usual purpose. In this case, an effective log management will help to trace the attack back to it.
Other issues which may be reviewed and resolved with the help of logs are:
In other words, logs will provide organizations with the necessary information to investigate some of the security incidents which take place in their IT infrastructure.
Logs Help With Troubleshooting
Not all issues which require troubleshooting are related to IT security. In some cases, server logs may contain information about application errors, and services which have stopped working. In fact, the information contained in the logs is extremely useful for troubleshooting.
For example, if a website suddenly becomes unavailable, the administrator may use the website logs to review what happened in the system prior to the incident. The administrator may look for any issues with the web servers or the operating system, and see if there are any problems with the applications or databases which power the website. Essentially, logs can help to troubleshoot technical issues with the IT infrastructure much faster and easier.
A proper logging system will collect and centralize all of the information about the technical issues taking place in the environment. As long as there are multiple applications, services and systems in use, this will greatly assist in identifying the source of the problem.
Improving Performance with the Help of Logs
Aside from application and infrastructure issues, logs can also be used to review the performance of servers and select the necessary actions.
The administrator can use logs to identify recurring events, such as errors, and deal with them in order to improve the performance of the system. Logs can also show if there are some unusual issues which need to be resolved. For example, a website log may show that the web server has issues with connecting to the database. On its own, the issue may not affect the overall performance of the website. However, after reviewing the logs, the system administrator may find out that the database is being overloaded at certain times of the day. This information can then be used to optimize the database.
Logs can help to identify any issues with the server, applications, network and other elements of the IT infrastructure, making it easier to improve the system’s performance.
Centralized Logging Makes Information Easy to Manage
When the logs of every single server need to be reviewed, it can be very difficult to manage. An administrator may have to go through all of the servers to identify the issue. Centralized logging solves this problem by collecting all of the system logs into one place. This way, instead of having to review dozens of files across the servers to find an issue, the administrator can simply look through the centralized logs.
As the IT infrastructures of organizations grow, they become more complex, with more and more applications, servers and systems added to the network. It becomes much harder to troubleshoot these infrastructures, since there are more points to check. This is why proper log management, which involves centralized logging, is so important.
Automated Monitoring Can Help Identify the Issues Faster
It is impossible for an administrator to constantly scan through the servers to find any issues. This is why automated monitoring is essential for effective log management.
Automated monitoring means that the administrator sets up alerts for certain types of system events which might occur. For example, if there are recurring unsuccessful attempts to log in, the system administrator will be notified. This will enable the administrator to take the necessary actions to deal with any security threats.
Automated monitoring is essential because it reduces the time spent on reviewing the logs. The events which need attention will be alerted to the administrator. This, in turn, reduces the response time and ensures that no important log is overlooked.
Log Retention Helps to Store the Information for Future Reference
Having the infrastructure logs is essential, but it only makes sense to store this information for future reference. The process of determining how long the data should be stored is known as log retention.
For some systems, retaining the data for a long time might be necessary. For example, the security related information may need to be kept for longer, depending on the organization’s needs. As long as there are proper log retention policies in place, organizations will be able to store and retrieve the necessary data.
An effective log retention plan may involve the following considerations:
When logs are no longer required, they should not simply be deleted. The retention period should also be considered in terms of security and privacy, since unnecessary logs may contain confidential data.
Protect Logs From Unauthorized Access
As mentioned, system logs contain valuable information about the operation of the IT infrastructure. This includes user names, IP addresses, system details, and other data. If this information were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used to launch an attack on the system.
This is why logs and the log management system itself should be secured. Only authorized users should have access to the logs. If there is a situation where logs need to be viewed or edited, appropriate authorization should be granted. The same goes for the storage of the logs, where they should be kept safe from tampering or deletion. If applicable, the logs and the log management system should be encrypted.
When using web hosting control panels to manage servers, the administrators may want to review the logging and security features which come with it. They should also make sure that they secure their access to the control panel.
Securing the logs is especially important if there is a security incident. If the attacker takes control of the log management system, it may be much harder to investigate the breach.
Log Management Ensures Compliance
Depending on the organization and the industry it operates in, there may be specific log management requirements which need to be followed. In some cases, organizations can establish their own security policies and procedures which are relevant to their IT infrastructure.
Logs can help organizations comply with the security requirements by storing information about the events which took place in the system and the actions taken by the users. This will also make it easier for organizations to ensure that there were no breaches of security and privacy.
As mentioned, the requirements and regulations vary depending on the industry and other factors. The retention period, storage location and access permissions will also vary depending on the requirements of an organization. In any case, an effective log management strategy will take these considerations into account.
Choosing the Right Logging Strategy
Having the right strategy in place is essential for effective log management. In other words, the organization should know what type of information it wants to collect, store, protect and analyze.
Having too much information may counteract the benefits of log management. This is why it is advisable to identify the servers and applications which are of highest importance and develop the strategy accordingly.
The system administrator should set up rules about what logs should be collected and which should not. They should also determine the storage location and the retention period. Finally, the events which require attention and alert should be set up.
The administrator should also make sure that the logging strategy is flexible enough, as the needs of the organization may change with time. Some applications and servers may be retired, while new security threats may emerge, changing the priorities of the IT department.
Conclusion
An effective log management strategy allows organizations to have better insight into their IT infrastructure. Logs can help with security issues, troubleshooting and performance. In terms of security, logs can store information about unusual events and suspicious activities. In terms of troubleshooting, they can store information about application and system errors, and identify the cause of such errors. As far as performance is concerned, they can help with identifying the issues which impact the performance of the system.
The value of logs is only realized when they are properly organized and monitored. Collecting too much information without sorting it out and organizing it will lead to confusion and may cause important issues to be overlooked. A proper log management strategy can help to sort out this information, analyze it and use it to improve the performance of the system.
For organizations which operate large IT infrastructures, log management is a convenient way to keep track of what is happening in their network, and address any issues before they escalate.