Configure service and application logging

Retaining security event logs from services and applications is crucial for detecting and investigating security events. These logs provide visibility into the actions taking place within your environment, helping you monitor and respond to security incidents. Proper logging is also essential for audit, investigation, and meeting governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) standards.

1. Enable logging for all critical services: Ensure that logging is enabled across all key AWS services and applications, including EC2, S3, Lambda, and RDS. Services like AWS CloudTrail, Amazon CloudWatch Logs, and VPC Flow Logs should be configured to capture detailed records of activities across your AWS environment.
2. Retain logs for security events: Security event logs should be retained for an appropriate period, as required by your organization’s GRC policies. These logs provide a historical record of all activities and actions within your AWS environment, which is vital for auditing and forensic investigations.
3. Centralize log storage: Use a centralized location, such as Amazon S3 or Amazon CloudWatch Logs, to store and manage all service and application logs. Centralized log storage simplifies access for analysis and investigation and ensures that logs are securely stored and retained.
4. Implement logging for custom applications: Configure logging in custom applications to capture important security events such as authentication attempts, errors, and access to sensitive data. Ensure that these logs are forwarded to your central logging solution for consistent monitoring.
5. Monitor logs for security anomalies: Use services like Amazon CloudWatch, AWS Security Hub, and AWS GuardDuty to monitor logs and metrics for unusual activities or security anomalies. Automated monitoring allows for real-time detection and alerts on potential security events.
6. Ensure compliance with GRC standards: Make sure that your logging strategy aligns with governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) standards and policies. Retain logs for the required timeframes and ensure they are available for audit and investigation purposes.

Supporting Questions:

• How do you configure logging for AWS services and custom applications to capture security events?
• What tools are used to store and monitor logs centrally for detection and investigation of security incidents?
• How do you ensure your logging strategy complies with GRC requirements?

Roles and Responsibilities:

Security Engineer:

• Responsibilities:
  • Configure and enable logging for AWS services and custom applications to capture security events.
  • Centralize log storage and ensure secure retention of logs for audit and investigation purposes.
  • Work with compliance teams to ensure that logging practices meet GRC requirements.

Cloud Administrator:

• Responsibilities:
  • Implement log monitoring tools like AWS CloudWatch and GuardDuty to detect anomalies and security events in real-time.
  • Ensure that logs are forwarded to centralized storage and monitored regularly for potential threats.
  • Maintain log retention policies that align with organizational and regulatory requirements.

Artefacts:

• Logging Configuration Documentation: Records outlining how logging is configured for AWS services and custom applications to capture security events.
• Log Retention Policies: Policies that specify how long security event logs are retained and managed to meet compliance and security requirements.
• Audit Logs: Logs from services like AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch, capturing security events and actions across AWS resources.

Relevant AWS Services:

AWS Logging and Monitoring Services:

• AWS CloudTrail: Captures and logs API activity across AWS accounts, providing a comprehensive record of security events for audit and investigation.
• Amazon CloudWatch Logs: Stores and manages logs from AWS services and custom applications, allowing you to analyze security events in real time.
• Amazon S3: Centralized storage for log files, ensuring secure and scalable log retention for long-term audit and forensic analysis.
• AWS Security Hub: Aggregates and monitors security findings from logs, helping you detect potential security events and investigate incidents.
• AWS GuardDuty: Continuously monitors for anomalous activity and potential security threats based on logs and metrics from various AWS services.