What is indicated by failure audit logs?

Failure audit logs are specifically designed to track and record instances where an attempt to access a system or resource was unsuccessful. This generally pertains to security access attempts that do not succeed, indicating possible unauthorized access efforts or misconfigured credentials. These logs are essential for security monitoring and incident response, as they can provide insights into potential vulnerabilities being exploited by malicious actors. By analyzing failure audit logs, organizations can identify trends in access attempts that could lead to future security incidents, thereby enhancing their protective measures and responses to threats.

In contrast, successful operations are typically recorded in different logs that document positive actions taken within a system, while network congestion reports may stem from performance logs and not directly from audit logs. System reboots, although they can sometimes generate their own logs, would not be categorized under failure audits but rather under system event logs or system activity logs. Hence, focusing on failed security access attempts as indicated by failure audit logs emphasizes their critical role in the security assessment and monitoring processes.