What Is Event Log Correlation?

Summary

Log correlation is a vital yet complex tool for security analysts to detect breaches from diverse system logs. Despite the challenges of log inconsistencies, cryptic codes, and siloed perspectives, it remains crucial for identifying threats. The key to transforming raw log data into actionable alerts lies in the strategic use of event correlation rules, which connect seemingly unrelated data points, enabling timely and informed responses to security incidents.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Log correlation is a vital tool for security analysts, helping to identify and respond to potential security threats.
• 📝 Event logs are crucial for troubleshooting, providing insights into network and device activities, and potential security issues.
• 🚨 According to the Verizon data breach investigations report, 84% of organizations with a security breach had evidence in their logs, but the logs were not explicit about an attack.
• 🔑 Log correlation is essential for making sense of the raw log data, as it helps in connecting the dots between seemingly unrelated events.
• 📚 Logs can vary greatly between systems and even between different versions of the same system, making log correlation complex.
• 🗣️ Some logs are written in plain language, while others use cryptic system codes, adding to the complexity of log analysis.
• 🔬 Each system logs events from its own perspective, leading to different articulations of similar activities, which log correlation must account for.
• ⏱ Logs record events at specific points in time without the full context or sequence of related events, necessitating the use of event correlation rules for logical analysis.
• 🛡️ Log correlation helps security analysts and incident responders to make informed decisions on how to respond and investigate security incidents.
• 🔄 The process of converting raw log data into actionable alarms, alerts, and reports is facilitated by the use of event correlation rules.
• 📉 The logic in event correlation rules translates raw log snippets into alarms, enabling appropriate action to be taken in response to security events.

Q & A

What is log correlation and why is it important for security analysts?

Log correlation is a method used by security analysts to analyze and connect seemingly unrelated log events from various systems to identify patterns that may indicate a security threat or an ongoing attack. It's important because it helps in making sense of the vast amount of data generated by different systems and can reveal security incidents that might otherwise go unnoticed.

What role do event logs play in troubleshooting and security?

Event logs act as a record of activities within a network or system, providing valuable insights into user actions, data access, and system performance issues. They can be crucial in identifying security threats or attacks, as they contain evidence that can be analyzed to understand and respond to security incidents.

Why can log analysis be complicated?

Log analysis can be complicated due to several reasons: logs vary greatly between systems and versions, some logs are written in plain language while others use cryptic codes, each system has its own perspective on events, and logs record static points in time without the full context of related events.

According to the Verizon data breach investigations report mentioned in the script, what percentage of organizations that had a security breach had evidence in their log files?

According to the Verizon data breach investigations report, 84% of organizations that experienced a security breach had evidence of that breach in their log files.

What is the challenge with log entries in terms of security breaches?

The challenge with log entries is that they often do not explicitly state that an attack is happening. Instead, they may contain entries like 'a successful login from an authenticated user', which requires further analysis to determine if it's part of a security breach.

How do different systems view log events differently?

Different systems view log events through their own lenses. For example, a network Intrusion Detection System (IDS) focuses on packets and streams, while an application log might focus on sessions, users, and requests. This difference in perspective means that while they may log similar activities, the way they articulate these activities can be quite different.

What is the purpose of event correlation rules in log correlation?

Event correlation rules are used to translate raw log data into actionable alarms, alerts, and reports. They connect the dots between related yet disparate data points, providing a logical analysis that helps security analysts to identify and respond to potential security threats.

How do event correlation rules help in converting raw log data into actionable information?

Event correlation rules analyze raw log events by identifying patterns and connections between seemingly unrelated data. The logic embedded in these rules helps in translating these snippets of information into alarms, which can then trigger appropriate actions for security analysts to take.

What is the significance of the 'secret sauce' mentioned in the script in the context of log correlation?

The 'secret sauce' refers to the use of event correlation rules, which are crucial in converting raw log data into actionable alarms and alerts. It's a metaphor for the key element that makes log correlation effective in identifying and responding to security threats.

How does log correlation assist security analysts and incident responders in making decisions?

Log correlation assists security analysts and incident responders by providing a comprehensive view of related events, which helps them to understand the context and sequence of activities. This, in turn, enables them to make informed decisions on how to respond to and investigate potential security incidents.

What is the importance of considering the full context and sequence of related events in log analysis?

Considering the full context and sequence of related events is important because logs alone record static points in time without showing the bigger picture. Analyzing these events in context allows for a more accurate understanding of whether a security threat is present and how to address it.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Introduction to Log Correlation

This paragraph introduces log correlation as an essential tool for security analysts. It emphasizes the complexity and importance of using logs for troubleshooting and detecting security threats. The script highlights that while logs can contain evidence of breaches, they often lack explicit attack signals, making log correlation critical for translating raw log data into actionable information. The paragraph sets the stage for the video by explaining the challenges faced in analyzing logs, which vary in format and content across different systems, and the need for event correlation rules to make sense of the data.

Keywords

💡Log correlation

Log correlation is a process used by security analysts to analyze and relate log data from various systems to identify patterns or anomalies that may indicate a security threat. It is central to the video's theme as it highlights the complexity and importance of this process in detecting breaches. The script mentions that while 84% of organizations had evidence of a security breach in their logs, none of the logs explicitly stated an attack, emphasizing the need for log correlation to make sense of raw log data.

💡Security analyst

A security analyst is a professional who specializes in monitoring and assessing an organization's security measures and identifying potential vulnerabilities. In the context of the video, they are the primary users of log correlation to troubleshoot and respond to security incidents. The script positions them as the beneficiaries of the insights provided by log correlation, which aids in making informed decisions about security threats.

💡Event logs

Event logs are records generated by systems and applications that document activities, transactions, and system events. They are crucial for the video's narrative as they serve as the raw data source for log correlation. The script describes event logs as 'breadcrumbs of network and device intelligence,' indicating their role in providing essential information about user actions, data access, and system performance.

💡Data breach

A data breach refers to an incident where unauthorized individuals gain access to sensitive information. The video uses the term to illustrate the relevance of log correlation in identifying such incidents. The script cites a Verizon report stating that 84% of organizations with a security breach had evidence in their log files, underscoring the significance of log correlation in uncovering breaches.

💡Cryptic logs

Cryptic logs are log entries that are difficult to understand without specialized knowledge, often containing system codes or jargon. The video mentions this concept to highlight one of the challenges in log correlation, where logs vary in their readability and require interpretation. The script points out that while some logs are written in plain language, others are cryptic, necessitating the use of log correlation to decipher their meaning.

💡Siloed lenses

Siloed lenses refer to the limited perspectives that individual systems have on events, capturing only a portion of the overall activity. In the video, this concept is used to explain why log correlation is necessary, as each system logs events differently and from its own perspective. The script gives an example of how a network IDS and an application log view similar activities but articulate them differently, indicating the need for correlation to get a comprehensive view.

💡Static fixed points

Static fixed points in the context of the video refer to the discrete, time-stamped log entries that lack the full context or sequence of related events. The script mentions this to emphasize the limitation of logs and the need for logical analysis through log correlation to provide a complete picture of events, which is essential for effective security analysis and response.

💡Event correlation rules

Event correlation rules are sets of criteria used to analyze and connect seemingly unrelated log events to identify significant patterns or incidents. The video describes these rules as the 'secret sauce' for converting raw log data into actionable alarms and alerts. The script explains that these rules help in making sense of disparate data points by connecting the dots, translating raw log snippets into alarms for appropriate action.

💡Actionable alarms

Actionable alarms are alerts generated by log correlation systems that indicate a need for immediate response or investigation. The video discusses this concept to show the end goal of log correlation, which is to provide security analysts with clear and actionable information. The script mentions that the logic in event correlation rules translates raw log data into alarms, enabling the appropriate action to be taken.

💡Security threat

A security threat is any potential danger to the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a system or organization's information. The video uses this term to describe what log correlation helps to identify. The script suggests that log correlation is critical for detecting threats that may not be explicitly stated in log files but can be inferred through the analysis of related log entries.

💡Human intervention

Human intervention in the context of the video refers to the role of security analysts in manually reviewing and interpreting log data, especially when automated log correlation rules are not sufficient. The script implies that while log correlation rules are essential, there is still a need for human expertise to fully understand and respond to complex security incidents.

Highlights

Log correlation is a powerful tool for security analysts but can become complex quickly.

Event logs are essential for troubleshooting, providing network and device intelligence.

Logs can indicate user activity, data access, and system performance issues.

Eighty-four percent of organizations with a security breach had evidence in their log files, but no direct attack indicators.

Log entries often lack clear attack signals, instead showing normal activities like authenticated user logins.

Log correlation is critical for translating log data into actionable information.

Logs vary greatly between systems and even different versions of the same system.

Some logs are written in plain language while others use cryptic system codes.

Logs have siloed perspectives, with each system recording events through its own lens.

Network IDS and application logs, for example, record similar activities but in different ways.

Logs capture static points in time without the full context or sequence of related events.

Event correlation rules are necessary to provide full context and logical analysis of log data.

Log correlation helps security analysts and incident responders make informed decisions on response and investigation.

The use of event correlation rules is key to converting raw log data into actionable alarms, alerts, and reports.

Event correlation rules connect the dots between related log events to translate them into alarms.

Log correlation is essential for appropriate action to be taken in response to security threats.

Transcripts

Log correlation is one of the most powerful tools in the security analyst

toolkit

but it can get pretty complicated, pretty quickly. So we want to spend a few

minutes describing how to use log correlation

and how it works in this short video. As a troubleshooting tool,

event logs are your friend. Logs contain the essential breadcrumbs of network

and device intelligence

What users doing? What data is being accessed?

What are the blips on our radar of system performance or network activity?

Could these "blips" signal a security threat or an attack in progress?

In fact according to a recent Verizon data breach investigations report,

eighty-four percent of organizations that had a security breach

had evidence of that breach in their log files, but

none of those log files contain entries that said you're being attacked.

Instead the log entries are more along lines of "a successful login from an

authenticated user".

That's why log correlation is so critical, and yet so complicated.

First, logs vary greatly from system to system,

and even from version to version for the same system.

Second, some logs are written in plain language that a human can understand,

and others are quite cryptic with only esoteric system codes.

Third, logs have siloed lenses,

each system sees the world through its own imperfect and incomplete filter.

An example here is that a network IDS sees packets and streams

while an application log sees sessions, users, and requests.

So while these systems will log similar activities,

the way they articulate these activities is quite different.

Fourth, logs record static fixed points in time

without the full context or sequence of related events.

Logical analysis, either through event correlation rules or through human

intervention, is therefore necessary in order to bring in that full context.

Log correlation or event log correlation provides the answer to these

challenges

so that security analysts and incident responders can make the right decision

on what to do next to respond and investigate. The secret sauce on converting

raw log data into actionable alarms, alerts and reports is...

well, I mentioned it a few minutes ago... The use of event correlation rules.

Event correlation rules merely tell people what to think about the raw log

events

by connecting the dots on related, yet disparate data.

The logic in the event correlation rules essentially translates these raw

logs snippets

into alarms so that the appropriate action can take place.

And that's log correlation in a nutshell.