What are the benefits of keeping a log of all transactions that occur on your network and reviewing them?

Question

It can be time-consuming and overwhelming to review logs.
You can anticipate and prevent attacks before they happen.
You can find and respond to attacks that have happened.
You may inadvertently make information hard to access for authorized users.

Answer 1

Keeping a log of all transactions that occur on your network and regularly reviewing them offers several benefits, despite the time investment involved. Here are some of the primary advantages:

1. Anticipate and Prevent Attacks: By analyzing logs, you can identify patterns or anomalies that may indicate potential threats. This proactive approach allows you to implement measures to fortify your defenses before an attack occurs.

2. Respond to Attacks: If an attack does happen, logs provide crucial information that can help you understand the nature of the attack, the vulnerabilities that were exploited, and the extent of the damage. This enables you to respond effectively and make informed decisions on recovery.

3. Compliance and Auditing: Keeping logs can help you meet regulatory requirements and industry standards by providing necessary documentation for audits. It demonstrates due diligence and accountability in your network management practices.

4. Understanding Network Behavior: Logs help you gain insights into normal network operations, allowing you to distinguish between typical user behavior and potential security incidents. This can also assist in capacity planning and performance monitoring.

5. Forensic Analysis: In the event of a breach or security incident, logs serve as a valuable source of information for forensic investigations. They can help in tracing the source of the attack, determining its impact, and gathering evidence.

6. User Activity Monitoring: Logs can track user activity on the network, helping you identify any unauthorized access or irregular behavior. This can be especially important for detecting insider threats.

7. Historical Reference: Logs provide a historical record of network activity that can be invaluable for understanding past incidents and improving future security measures.

While reviewing logs can indeed be overwhelming and may inadvertently complicate access for authorized users, the benefits of maintaining and analyzing log data generally outweigh the challenges. Implementing automated logging and analysis tools can help streamline the process and make it more manageable.