Security Logging and Monitoring – The #9 Web Application Security Risk

When a cyber attack happens, proper security logging and monitoring is essential to determine the entry point of the attack, the activities of the attacker within your systems, finding the source of the attack, how deeply the attackers managed to penetrate your systems, and mitigating the damage. This article explores why strong security logging and monitoring is a crucial defense against cyber threats.

A09:2021 – Security Logging and Monitoring Failures

Why Security Logging and Monitoring Failures Make the OWASP Top 10 List?

The OWASP Top 10 list outlines the most critical security risks to web applications. For the first time in 2021, security logging and monitoring failures made the list, coming in at number nine. This underscores how vital proper logging and monitoring is for security defenses.

This category covers several potential logging issues:

Failing in any of these areas leaves major vulnerabilities open to cyber threats.

Real-World Impacts of Poor Logging Practices

Without comprehensive activity logging and real-time monitoring, you may never even know your systems were compromised. Attackers can stealthily steal data, install backdoors, and cover their tracks.

Even if you detect an intrusion, insufficient logging means you cannot effectively investigate the attack’s origin, methods, and impacts. Lack of detailed forensic data seriously hinders incident response and remediation.

OWASP Recommendations for Security Logging and Monitoring

OWASP provides extensive guidance on implementing robust logging and monitoring, including:

The Bottom Line

Robust security logging and monitoring serves as a critical early warning system and the foundation for investigating compromise incidents. No organization can afford logging gaps that allow attackers free reign inside their systems. Prioritizing comprehensive activity auditing and log monitoring is imperative for security success.

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