AWS Logging Sufficiency & Integrity Audit Evidence

Defensible evidence for logging coverage, retention, access, and tamper protection. Logging in AWS is rarely absent—the audit problem is whether logging is sufficient, protected, and reviewable.

SOC 2 CC7.x PCI DSS Req. 10 ISO 27001 A.12 HIPAA Audit Controls

Why AWS Logging Reviews Commonly Fail

Auditors must move beyond "logging enabled" and determine whether logs actually support detection, investigation, and accountability.

Most logging reviews break down due to:

  • Overreliance on high-level service settings
  • Lack of clarity on what is actually logged
  • Incomplete understanding of log storage and retention
  • Unclear access controls around logs
  • Weak or undocumented tamper protection

These gaps lead to review comments, rework, and challenged conclusions.

What Auditors Must Be Able to Defend

A defensible logging review must clearly answer:

  • Is logging enabled for relevant AWS services?
  • What specific events and activities are logged?
  • Where are logs stored?
  • How long are logs retained?
  • Are logs encrypted and protected from modification?
  • Who can access or delete logs?

Blackbox Auditor is designed to answer these questions directly.

Logging Sufficiency & Integrity Evidence Domains

Logging Coverage and Enablement

Blackbox Auditor identifies which AWS logging services are enabled and where gaps exist.

  • CloudTrail configuration and scope
  • Service-level logging for audit-relevant services
  • Coverage across regions and accounts
  • Identification of missing or partial logging

Clear visibility into logging completeness.

What Is Being Logged

Enablement alone is not sufficient. Blackbox Auditor surfaces:

  • Event types captured (management, data, API activity)
  • Service-specific logging details
  • Gaps between expected and actual logging

Assess whether logs support investigation requirements.

Log Storage, Retention, and Encryption

Logs must be stored securely and retained appropriately.

  • Log destination (S3, CloudWatch, centralized accounts)
  • Retention periods and lifecycle policies
  • Encryption at rest and in transit
  • Alignment with audit and regulatory expectations

Validate retention and protection without manual inspection.

Log Access Controls and Integrity Protection

Logs are only useful if they are protected from tampering.

  • Who can read, modify, or delete logs
  • IAM permissions affecting log access
  • Controls preventing log alteration or deletion
  • Indicators of weak or overly broad access

Defensible conclusions about log integrity.

What the Evidence Looks Like

Consolidated, auditor-friendly logging summaries with timestamped, reproducible evidence outputs.

Evidence Table Coming Soon

We're preparing sanitized evidence output for this product. Request access to be notified when it's available, or schedule a demo to see live evidence today.

Outputs are designed to withstand internal and external review.

Who This Page Is For

  • External auditors evaluating AWS logging controls
  • Internal GRC teams validating detection and accountability
  • Security teams supporting audit evidence requests

Not Intended For

  • Real-time security monitoring
  • SIEM replacement
  • Threat detection or alerting

Evaluate Logging Evidence the Way Auditors Do

See what defensible logging sufficiency evidence actually looks like.