8.15 Logging

Logs that record activities, exceptions, faults and other relevant events should be produced, stored, protected and analysed.

Logging in information security refers to the process of collecting and storing information about system and network activity, in order to track and analyze the actions of users, systems, and other entities. Logs can include information such as user logins and logouts, file access, network connections, and system events.

The main purpose of logging in information security is to provide a record of activity that can be used for:

• Auditing: Logs can be used to track and review user actions, system events, and other activity to ensure that they comply with organisational policies and regulations.
• Incident response: Logs can be used to identify and investigate security incidents, such as unauthorised access, data breaches, and network intrusions.
• Compliance: Logs can be used to demonstrate compliance with regulations, such as HIPAA or PCI-DSS, which mandate the collection and retention of specific types of logs.
• Forensics: Logs can be used to reconstruct past events and identify the cause of an incident.
• Monitoring: Logs can be used to monitor the status and performance of systems, networks and applications.
It is important to have a well-defined logging policy in place, which outlines the types of logs that should be collected, how they should be stored, and who has access to them. Logs should be stored in a secure location, and should be regularly reviewed to ensure that they are complete, accurat, and that there are no signs of tampering