How to Search Log Files
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How to Check and Make Sense of Logs on Different Operating Systems
If you need to go back to the guide, click Cyber Incident Response Guide
Mobile: iOS
Use Analytics & Improvements
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Analytics & Improvements.
- Select Analytics Data to view system and app logs.
Identify Suspicious Activity
- Look for entries such as
sysdiagnose
orstacks+appName
, indicating app crashes or system issues. - Search for terms like
privacy
,location
, orpermission
to find logs related to privacy settings changes. - Check for any entries with
daemon
orprocess
indicating background activities.
Mobile: Android
Enable Developer Options
- Go to Settings > About phone.
- Tap Build number seven times to enable Developer Options.
Access Logs through Developer Options
- Go to Settings > System > Developer options.
- Scroll to Debugging and select Take bug report or Log viewer.
Check for Suspicious Activity
- Look for frequent app crashes or unexpected system behavior in the logs.
- Identify any unusual network activities or connection attempts.
- Check for logs indicating changes in security settings or permissions granted to unfamiliar apps.
- Look for repeated attempts to access secure features or data without authorization.
Windows
Open the Event Viewer
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type
eventvwr.msc
and press Enter. - The Event Viewer will open.
Look for Error or Warning Logs Related to Security
- Navigate to Windows Logs > Security.
- Sort the logs by Event ID, Level, or Source.
- Look for Event IDs:
4624
(successful logon),4625
(failed logon),4648
(explicit login).
Search for Suspicious Activity
- Look for repeated failed login attempts from the same source IP.
- Look for logon attempts from unfamiliar locations or at unusual times.
- Look for logs indicating changes to security settings or software.
- Look for logs indicating new software installations or changes to existing software.
MacOS
Open Console
- Launch the Console application from the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
Look for Error or Warning Logs Related to Security
- Check logs related to security software such as antivirus or firewall.
- Search for logs with keywords like
error
orwarning
.
Search for Suspicious Activity
- Look for repeated failed logon attempts from the same source IP.
- Look for logon attempts from unfamiliar locations or at unusual times.
- Check logs indicating changes to security settings or software.
- Look for logs indicating new software installations or changes to existing software.
Linux
Open Terminal
- Launch the Terminal application.
Look for Error or Warning Logs Related to Security
- Use the command:
sudo grep -E 'error|warning' /var/log/auth.log
to view security logs.
Check Users
- Use the command:
sudo getent passwd | grep '/home' | cut -d: -f1
to see all users with a home directory.
- Use the command:
sudo getent passwd | cut -d: -f1
to see all users, even those without a home directory.
Search for Suspicious Activity
- Look for repeated failed login attempts from the same source IP.
- Look for logon attempts from unfamiliar locations or at unusual times.
- Check logs indicating changes to security settings or software.
- Look for logs indicating new software installations or changes to existing software.