CIS Control 8.11: Conduct Audit Log Reviews
Audit log reviews are your frontline defense against undetected threats lurking in your systems. CIS Control 8.11 requires you to actively monitor and analyze logs on a weekly basis to catch anomalies before they become breaches. Without systematic review, suspicious activity goes invisible—leaving your organization vulnerable.
What this means
Audit log reviews involve regularly examining system, application, and network logs to identify unusual patterns, unauthorized access attempts, failed authentications, privilege escalations, or other indicators of compromise. CIS Control 8.11 mandates at minimum weekly reviews, though more frequent analysis (daily or real-time) is strongly recommended for high-risk environments. The goal is early detection of threats before attackers can move laterally or exfiltrate data.
How to comply
- 1.Establish a baseline of normal log activity across all critical systems, applications, and network devices
- 2.Define specific anomalies and suspicious patterns to monitor (failed logins, privilege changes, unusual file access, data transfers)
- 3.Schedule formal audit log reviews at minimum weekly; consider daily or continuous monitoring for sensitive systems
- 4.Document findings from each review, including what was checked, anomalies detected, and actions taken
- 5.Assign clear ownership for log review activities and ensure staff have proper training and tools
- 6.Investigate and resolve flagged anomalies promptly, documenting root causes and remediation steps
- 7.Retain audit logs for sufficient periods (typically 90 days minimum) to support forensic analysis
Evidence auditors look for
- Weekly audit log review schedules and sign-off records
- Documented anomaly detection criteria and thresholds
- Logs showing failed authentication attempts and remedial actions
- Records of privilege escalation events and approvals
- Investigation reports for detected suspicious activities
- System configuration showing centralized log collection and retention
- Training records for personnel responsible for log review
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
GRCWatch automatically aggregates and analyzes audit logs from your systems, flagging anomalies for weekly review and providing pre-built evidence documentation so you can demonstrate CIS 8.11 compliance without manual log hunting.
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