How to Search Log Files
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 or stacks+appName, indicating app crashes or system issues.
Search for terms like privacy, location, or permission to find logs related to privacy settings changes.
Check for any entries with daemon or process 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 or warning.
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.