What is Log?
Log Definition: A record of actions and events that have taken place on a computer system.
Understanding Log
A record of actions and events that have taken place on a computer system. Logs are chronological records of events activities transactions or observations generated by systems applications networks or security devices. Comprehensive logging is essential for security monitoring incident detection forensic investigation and compliance verification. Logging requirements are specified in standards like ISO 27001 NIST SP 800-92 PCI DSS and various regulatory frameworks. Organizations implement logging through log generation configuration centralized collection secure transmission integrity protection retention management and analysis capabilities. For example a financial services company might configure comprehensive logging across all critical systems collecting logs in a central SIEM platform that applies real-time correlation rules to detect potential security incidents while storing logs securely for at least one year to support forensic investigations and regulatory compliance. Related terms Audit trail Security Information and Event Management SIEM Log analysis Event correlation Forensics Log retention Syslog.