Advanced Linux log analysis: Monitor, detect and respond with EventLog Analyzer

Linux environments generate a vast amount of security event data through the syslog daemon and other logging mechanisms. ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer provides comprehensive log management and analysis for your Linux infrastructure, empowering you to centralize logs from multiple Linux systems, detect security threats in real time, achieve regulatory compliance, and streamline security operations.

Understanding Linux log architecture

Linux systems utilize a robust logging architecture, distributing operational data across specialized files within the /var/log directory. Some of the most important files are:

• /var/log/auth.log or /var/log/secure — Records the status of all authentication attempts, both successful and failed.
• /var/log/wtmp.log — Tracks all login, logout, and reboot information.
• /var/log/lastlog.log — Provides details about the last log in time for each user.

You can manually analyze Linux logs by using a few commands to get the information you need in the bash command line. Some of the commands are:

• cd /var/log/ — Changes working directory to /var/log/.
• head -n 20 ex.log — Displays the first 20 lines of the file.
• tail -n 20 ex.log — Displays the last 20 lines of the file.
• grep "changed" ex.log (most used) — Searches for the string "changed" within the ex.log file and prints the lines that contain the string.

While traditional command-line tools like grep, awk, and tail offer powerful text processing, they can be cumbersome in large-scale environments. EventLog Analyzer automates these log analysis processes, providing real-time insights and robust reporting for not just the Linux deployments, but the complete organizational network.

EventLog Analyzer’s Linux log viewer and analyzer capabilities

1. Unified log management

Aggregate, analyze, and visualize all your critical Linux logs in a centralized log management solution. Collect syslog data from major distributions like RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu, SUSE, and more, along with application-specific logs from web servers, databases, and other network entities. Gain a unified view of your entire Linux environment for comprehensive security and operational insights.

2. Real-time threat detection

EventLog Analyzer proactively monitors your Linux systems for suspicious activity by leveraging advanced correlation rules to detect threats in real time. Identify and respond to SSH brute-force attacks, unauthorized sudo usage, suspicious file modifications, and other indicators of compromise as they occur.

3. Streamlined incident response

Correlate events from Linux log sources (syslog, auth.log, application logs, etc.), visualize timelines of suspicious activities, and drill down to raw logs for detailed analysis. Automate responses like disabling compromised Linux accounts, blocking malicious IPs on firewalls, or running scripts to isolate affected systems.

Enhanced operational efficiency

Track resource utilization (CPU, memory, disk I/O) on your Linux servers, monitor service status, and troubleshoot issues faster with readily available insights. These capabilities lead to improved system uptime and reduced operational overhead for your Linux infrastructure.

Linux log analysis use cases with EventLog Analyzer

Security operations

EventLog Analyzer automatically identifies security incidents by analyzing patterns across user authentication, file system access, and privilege usage.

• Brute-force attacks via SSH: Detect multiple failed SSH login attempts in a short period from the same IP address, indicating a potential brute-force attack.
• Privilege escalation attempts: Identify unauthorized attempts to gain elevated privileges, such as through misuse of sudo commands.
• Unauthorized access: Flag suspicious logins from unusual locations or at irregular times.
• Malware activity: Identify suspicious file modifications or known malware patterns to prevent further compromise.

Activity monitoring

Gain complete visibility into your Linux systems with specialized monitoring capabilities. EventLog Analyzer tracks critical system activities, including:

• sudo command executions: Ensure privileged user accountability and detect potential misuse.
• SSH logins: Track user logins, including successful and failed attempts, source IP, and timestamps to identify unauthorized access.
• User account modifications: Monitor the creation, deletion, and modification of user accounts, groups, and passwords.
• System Events: Track system startups, shutdowns, service status changes (for example, SSH, cron), and other critical events.
• File Integrity Monitoring (FIM): Guard against unauthorized file access, modifications, or permission changes.

System administration

Centralize log aggregation and analysis to streamline system administration tasks.

• Track configuration changes: Monitor changes to system configurations, including package installations and updates, to ensure stability and identify unauthorized modifications.
• Monitor service status: Get alerted to service failures and restarts, ensuring critical services are always available.
• Proactive problem resolution: Correlate system events with performance issues to identify root causes and resolve problems before they impact users.
• Capacity planning: Analyze historical data on resource utilization (CPU, memory, disk space) to forecast future needs and plan for capacity expansions.

User activity auditing

Maintain detailed audit trails of user activities across your Linux environments.

• Detect potential insider threats: Establish normal usage patterns and identify anomalous behavior that could indicate malicious intent.
• Monitor privileged user actions: Track all actions performed by users with elevated privileges, including sudo usage and SSH sessions.
• Audit user logins and logoffs: Track user login and logout activity, including successful and failed attempts, to identify potential security breaches.

5 reasons to choose EventLog Analyzer as your Linux log analyzer:

• Centralized visibility and control: Gain a unified view of your entire Linux environment from a single console. Collect, analyze, and correlate logs from servers, workstations, applications, and network devices to get a holistic picture of your security posture.
• Proactive threat detection: Detect and respond to security threats faster with real-time monitoring, advanced correlation rules, and machine learning-powered anomaly detection. Identify suspicious activities, such as brute-force attacks, privilege escalation, and unauthorized access attempts, before they escalate.
• Automated incident response: Automate incident response workflows to take immediate action when threats are detected. Automatically disable user accounts, block IP addresses, or trigger other actions to mitigate risks.
• Simplified compliance auditing: Meet regulatory requirements with ease. EventLog Analyzer provides pre-built reports and dashboards for PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, SOX, and other mandates, simplifying compliance audits and ensuring you're always prepared.
• Streamlined operations: Simplify log management with automated log collection, parsing, and analysis. Free up your IT team's time by providing them with actionable insights and intuitive dashboards, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks.