Security Logging and Monitoring Architecture Guide

In cybersecurity, what you don’t know can hurt you. An unmonitored system is a black box where attackers can operate undetected for weeks or months. Comprehensive logging and monitoring are the foundational practices that turn this black box into a glass box, providing the visibility needed to detect threats, respond to incidents, and prove compliance.

For engineers and system administrators, implementing logging is often seen as a routine task. However, building a strategy that is resilient, comprehensive, and truly useful for security requires a deeper architectural approach. This isn’t just about collecting logs; it’s about collecting the right logs, ensuring their integrity, and turning them into actionable intelligence.

From a compliance perspective, logging is non-negotiable. Frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 have explicit requirements for event logging, monitoring, and incident response. Auditors will look for evidence that you not only generate logs but also review them and act upon the information they provide. A mature logging strategy is a direct path to satisfying dozens of security controls.

This article provides a practical framework for designing and implementing a robust logging and monitoring architecture for a modern cloud-native application, covering everything from endpoints and servers to SaaS platforms and the centralized systems that bring it all together.

The Core Security Goals of Logging

Before designing an architecture, it’s crucial to understand the primary security functions that a logging framework must support. These goals are the “why” behind the entire effort and drive your architectural decisions.

1. Security Monitoring & Incident Detection: Identify suspicious activity in real time by analyzing log streams for threat patterns, such as repeated failed login attempts or unusual network traffic.
2. Incident Response & Investigation: Logs provide detailed records of events, allowing analysts to confirm incidents, determine their scope, and contain them effectively.
3. Forensics & Root Cause Analysis: Historical log analysis reveals how an attacker gained access and which vulnerabilities were exploited, enabling stronger defenses.

The Three Pillars of an Effective Logging Strategy

A successful logging strategy rests on three core pillars that define the lifecycle of log data—from creation to actionable intelligence.

1. Log Generation: Configure all components (endpoints, servers, cloud, SaaS) to produce accurate and detailed logs.
2. Log Shipping and Centralization: Securely transport logs to a central, tamper-resistant location for analysis.
3. Detection and Monitoring: Analyze centralized data for threats, alerts, and forensic investigations while ensuring log sources report correctly.

Architecting Log Generation: What to Log and Where

Default logging isn’t enough. Ensure comprehensive telemetry collection and time synchronization across all components using NTP to correlate events effectively.

End-User Workstations (Endpoints)

• Operating System Logs: Follow CIS Benchmarks. Use Sysmon for detailed process and network activity.
• Security Tool Logs: Collect logs from EDR or antimalware tools showing threats and actions taken.
• DNS & Network Logs: Monitor queries and network connections for signs of malicious activity.

Servers and Applications

• Operating System Logs: Capture authentication events, privilege escalations, and configuration changes.
• Web Server Logs: Log IPs, timestamps, URLs, and HTTP status codes.
• Application Logs: Include authentication events, account changes, privilege escalations, and critical business actions.

Orchestration Environments (e.g., Kubernetes)

• API Server Audit Logs: Record all API requests and administrative actions.
• Container Runtime Logs: Capture stdout and stderr from containers.
• Node-Level Logs: Monitor system health and configuration at the node level.

SaaS Platforms

• Audit Log Capabilities: Verify detailed tracking of user activity.
• API Access: Pull logs programmatically into your central system.
• Tiered Logging: Use enterprise-tier audit logs for critical systems.

Centralized Log Management: Building a Resilient Architecture

Logs must be centralized in a resilient, secure architecture—typically through log-shipping agents feeding a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform.

Resiliency: A Critical Non-Functional Requirement

• Detecting Silence: Alert if a source stops sending logs.
• Handling Network Outages: Enable local caching and retry mechanisms in log agents.
• Collector Availability: Deploy central collectors with high availability.

Verification: From Logs to Detections

Define, test, and validate your detection rules to ensure your logging pipeline works end-to-end.

Defining Detection Use Cases

Examples of MITRE ATT&CK–aligned detections:

Testing and Validation

• Atomic Tests: Validate log and alert flow for specific actions.
• Penetration Testing & Purple Teaming: Simulate attacks to confirm end-to-end visibility.

Requirements Mapping Example

Define and document operational, threat, and non-functional logging requirements.