Analyzing Windows Event Logs
Analyzing Windows event logs is a detailed process. One challenge that is often encountered by responders is the sheer number of logs that they may have to potentially analyze during an incident. In the case of multiple systems, the responder may have to contend with millions of separate event log entries. Cutting them down requires using specialized tools and processes, starting with acquisition, moving into triage, and then, finally, focusing on analyzing the key event logs that are pertinent to the incident investigation.
Acquisition
There are several methods that a responder can utilize in the acquisition of Windows event logs. Ideally, log files should be sent to a SIEM, to allow the responders to search log entries across the enterprise. Unfortunately, many organizations face a significant hurdle in terms of storage costs with commercial, or even open source, platforms. The result is that they often must trade off the cost of aggregating these...