Web server logging capability is critical for accurate forensic analysis. Without sufficient and accurate information, a correct replay of the events cannot be determined. Determining user accounts, processes running on behalf of the user, and running process identifiers also enable a better understanding of the overall event. User tool identification is also helpful to determine if events are related to overall user access or specific client tools. Log record content that may be necessary to satisfy the requirement of this control includes: time stamps, source and destination addresses, user/process identifiers, event descriptions, success/fail indications, file names involved, and access control or flow control rules invoked.
Review the web server documentation and deployment configuration to determine if the web server can generate log data containing the user/subject identity. Request a user access the hosted application and generate logable events, and verify the events contain the user/subject or process identity. If the identity is not part of the log record, this is a finding.
Configure the web server to include the user/subject identity or process as part of each log record.