With so many logs generated each day the challenge is pulling meaningful information out of collected logs
FINAL WORD
Why system , network and incident logs are so important
For IT administrators smooth generation and collection of log data is critical explains Subhalakshmi Ganapathy at ManageEngine . impact of a security breach or to contain an ongoing attack .
Stringent compliance and security requirements compel enterprises to look for solutions that automate the log management process . A comprehensive log management solution should automate log collection , analysis , search , and archival processes , thereby reducing the need for manual intervention . An immediate benefit of automation is reduced lead-time and faster remediation .
Every device on an enterprise network generates log data . Log data provides exhaustive information about what is happening . It records events such as start-ups and shutdowns , commands executed , login and logoff information , established connections , and a lot more . This long trail of activities is the perfect reason to call log data the footprints of a network .
Log data , regardless of where it is generated , is usually categorised into system , error , warning , and critical events . Each of these categories provides a wide range of information . For instance , system events help network operations centres be more efficient by reducing the troubleshooting cycle , whereas warning , critical , and error log types help organisations audit and secure their network from attacks . With so much at stake , it is important for enterprises to collect , manage , and analyse log data from devices across their network .
Unfortunately , log management is not always that easy . Businesses face two significant challenges if they want to understand the nature of device activity on their networks through log analysis . The first challenge in managing log data is coping with the continuous deluge of log data from connected devices . With so many logs generated each day , the second challenge is pulling meaningful information out of collected logs .
To add to this complexity , compliance mandates establish strict requirements
Subhalakshmi Ganapathy is a Marketing Analyst at ManageEngine .
With so many logs generated each day the challenge is pulling meaningful information out of collected logs
for collecting and analysing log data . Since log data contains information on every event that occurs in a network , there are often additional requirements for archiving log data for a specific period of time . Compliance mandates also outline the provisions for conducting forensic analysis of archived log data , which is used to assess the
The perfect log management solution provides better visibility and visualisation into network events in the form of intuitive reports and dashboards . Reports should provide exhaustive information on who did what activity , when , and where . The solution ’ s capability to discover anomalies instantly , and send real-time alerts to notify the user , greatly improves the operational efficiency of an enterprise ’ s network and security operation centers . A key component of any log management solution is the capability to implement artificial intelligence , which simplifies log management by downplaying false alarms or false positives and only flagging critical incidents .
Log management solutions should be able to connect the dots and predict security attack patterns . The ideal solution should also offer a high-speed search engine that can help in backtracking security attacks and conducting forensic analysis of archived log data . In addition , many organisations now want their log management solutions to extend their monitoring capabilities from on-premises into the cloud . Besides monitoring physical and virtual environments , enterprises now expect log management solutions to monitor cloud deployments .
An ideal log management solution should possess capabilities to process any human readable log format , intelligence to detect threats , and identify security incidents at ease by conducting efficient forensic analysis . www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO
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