Under active development Content is continuously updated and improved

AU-4Audit Log Storage Capacity

IL4 Mod
IL4 High
IL5
IL6

>Control Description

Allocate audit log storage capacity to accommodate organization-defined audit log retention requirements.

>DoD Impact Level Requirements

No specific parameter values or requirements for this impact level.

>Discussion

Organizations consider the types of audit logging to be performed and the audit log processing requirements when allocating audit log storage capacity. Allocating sufficient audit log storage capacity reduces the likelihood of such capacity being exceeded and resulting in the potential loss or reduction of audit logging capability.

>Programmatic Queries

Beta

Related Services

CloudWatch Logs
S3
Kinesis Data Firehose

CLI Commands

Check log group storage metrics
aws cloudwatch get-metric-statistics --namespace AWS/Logs --metric-name IncomingBytes --dimensions Name=LogGroupName,Value=LOG_GROUP --start-time $(date -u -d '7 days ago' +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) --end-time $(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) --period 86400 --statistics Sum
Check S3 bucket size for logs
aws s3 ls s3://BUCKET_NAME --recursive --summarize | tail -2
List log group stored bytes
aws logs describe-log-groups --query 'logGroups[*].{Name:logGroupName,StoredBytes:storedBytes}'
Check CloudTrail S3 bucket
aws cloudtrail describe-trails --query 'trailList[*].{Name:Name,S3Bucket:S3BucketName}'

>Related Controls

>Assessment Interview Topics

Questions assessors commonly ask

Process & Governance:

  • What formal policies and procedures govern the implementation of AU-4 (Audit Log Storage Capacity)?
  • Who are the designated roles responsible for implementing, maintaining, and monitoring AU-4?
  • How frequently is the AU-4 policy reviewed and updated, and what triggers policy changes?
  • What training or awareness programs ensure personnel understand their responsibilities related to AU-4?

Technical Implementation:

  • Describe the specific technical mechanisms or controls used to enforce AU-4 requirements.
  • What automated tools, systems, or technologies are deployed to implement AU-4?
  • How is AU-4 integrated into your system architecture and overall security posture?
  • What configuration settings, parameters, or technical specifications enforce AU-4 requirements?

Evidence & Documentation:

  • What documentation demonstrates the complete implementation of AU-4?
  • What audit logs, records, reports, or monitoring data validate AU-4 compliance?
  • Can you provide evidence of periodic reviews, assessments, or testing of AU-4 effectiveness?
  • What artifacts would you present during a FedRAMP assessment to demonstrate AU-4 compliance?

Ask AI

Configure your API key to use AI features.