System Logging

Learn about log files and how to examine and configure them.

Introduction to logging systems

Log files help provide an audit trail of the system’s operations. These files exhibit essential information in case of a security breach or when troubleshooting a system problem. When an issue arises in the operating system, analyzing the log files is the first thing a pentester, or a system administrator, needs to do. Therefore, when securing a Linux machine, we need a proper understanding of the management of the logging function to determine if a system has a vulnerability or has been attacked and then determine what happened and who was responsible.

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