OWASP: Secure Logging & Monitoring

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) highlights the most important online security threats. As a matter of fact, it is an invaluable resource for developers & security experts across the world. Security Logging & Monitoring Failures are among the most important factors affecting incident detection & response, and they are frequently in the top 10 categories.

List of Mapped CWEs

  1. CWE-117 Incorrect Neutralization for Logs Output: This is the inability to neutralize user-controlled input before logging in. Thus, it can result in sensitive data exposure or log injection attacks.
  2. CWE-223 Disclosure of Security Information: It draws attention to the dangers of excluding crucial security information from logs. As a result, it becomes more difficult for the cyber experts to identify & fix the security issues.
  3. CWE-532 Placement of Private Data in the Log File: It draws attention to the danger due to the unintentional logging of private data. Thus, hackers can use such data against use if the log files are compromised.
  4. CWE-778 Insufficient Logging: CWE-778 indicates insufficient logging methods, which prevents sufficient visibility into their operations & security breaches. Also, it impedes incident detection & response efforts.

CWE = Common Weakness Enumeration

Factors Affecting the Common Weakness Enumeration

CWEs Mapped

Max. Incidence Rate

Avg. Weighted Rate

Avg. Weighted Exploit

Avg. Weighted Impact

Max. Coverage

Avg. Coverage

Total Occurrences

Total CVEs

4

19.23

6.51%

6.87

4.99

53.67%

39.97%

53,615

242

 

Importance of Logging & Monitoring

Imagine a cyber attack on your system. If you weren’t regularly monitoring & logging security incidents, you wouldn’t even know that it is happening. Failure in logging & monitoring precisely may cause such situations. Here are a few cyber dangers listed by OWASP:

The Cost of Failure: 

Failure in security logging & monitoring might cause serious consequences like reputational harm, legal penalties, data breaches, and lost customer confidence.

Protecting Yourself: 

Now the question arises - how can you improve your security measures? Well, you can follow the below actions to protect your systems:

  1. Record the important events carefully.
  2. Check if the logs have sufficient information.
  3. Use a centralized log management & monitoring system.
  4. Configure automated notifications if any questionable activity occurs.
  5. Check the logs at regular intervals and perform penetration & evaluation tests.
  6. Educate your team on incident response techniques.

You can enhance the ability to identify & respond to security issues by fixing these flaws and placing appropriate logging & monitoring procedures. It will eventually secure your company and its data.

Examples of Attack Scenarios:

  1. Scenario 1: A significant data breach on a major Indian airline involved millions of customers’ personal information which spanned more than 10 years. After some time, the airline noted the data breach by a 3rd party cloud hosting provider where the incident took place.
  2. Scenario 2: A significant European airline experienced a reportable GDPR violation. As per the reports, hackers stole nearly 400,000 client payment records by taking advantage of payment application’s security flaws. As a result, the privacy regulator put a fine on the airline with 20 million pounds.

Remember: Maintaining security isn’t a one-time event; it's a continuous event. To stay ahead of emerging threats & vulnerabilities, regularly check & update your security procedures, including logging & monitoring.

Bonus Tips

  1. For more in-depth details on security logging & monitoring issues and other security threats, check out the OWASP Top 10.
  2. Consider using open-source solutions for log management & analysis, such as Graylog or ELK Stack.
  3. To keep your team ready, take part in security awareness training programs & drills on a regular basis.

You can ensure that your company is better prepared to handle the constantly evolving panorama of cyber threats by addressing security logging & monitoring failures.