Adversaries may clear system logs to hide evidence of an intrusion. macOS and Linux both keep track of system or user-initiated actions via system logs. The majority of native system logging is stored under the /var/log/ directory. Subfolders in this directory categorize logs by their related functions, such as:^[1]

• /var/log/messages:: General and system-related messages
• /var/log/secure or /var/log/auth.log: Authentication logs
• /var/log/utmp or /var/log/wtmp: Login records
• /var/log/kern.log: Kernel logs
• /var/log/cron.log: Crond logs
• /var/log/maillog: Mail server logs
• /var/log/httpd/: Web server access and error logs

References

1. Marcel. (2018, April 19). 12 Critical Linux Log Files You Must be Monitoring. Retrieved March 29, 2020.

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