Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills --skill audit-logging- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads audit-logging automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Audit Logging
Implement comprehensive audit logging for compliance, security monitoring, and forensic analysis across infrastructure and applications.
When to Use
- Setting up centralized logging for compliance frameworks (SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS)
- Implementing security event monitoring and alerting
- Building audit trails for regulatory requirements
- Configuring log retention and tamper-proof storage
- Integrating application logs with SIEM platforms
Log Categories
audit_events:
authentication:
- Login attempts (success and failure)
- MFA enrollment and verification events
- Session creation, renewal, and termination
- Password changes and resets
- API key and token generation
authorization:
- Access grants and denials
- Permission changes and role assignments
- Privilege escalation events
- Resource sharing modifications
- Policy evaluation results
data_access:
- Read operations on sensitive data
- Write and update operations
- Delete and purge operations
- Bulk export and download events
- Data classification changes
administrative:
- Configuration changes
- User and group management
- System startup and shutdown
- Backup and restore operations
- Network and firewall rule changes
system:
- Service health state changes
- Resource provisioning and deprovisioning
- Certificate and key rotation events
- Scheduled job execution results
- Integration and webhook events
Rsyslog Configuration for Centralized Logging
# /etc/rsyslog.d/50-audit.conf
# Load imfile module to read application logs
module(load="imfile")
# Forward auth logs
input(type="imfile"
File="/var/log/auth.log"
Tag="auth"
Severity="info"
Facility="auth"
)
# Forward application audit logs
input(type="imfile"
File="/var/log/app/audit.log"
Tag="app-audit"
Severity="info"
Facility="local0"
)
# Structured JSON template
template(name="json-audit" type="list") {
constant(value="{")
constant(value="\"@timestamp\":\"") property(name="timereported" dateFormat="rfc3339")
constant(value="\",\"host\":\"") property(name="hostname")
constant(value="\",\"severity\":\"") property(name="syslogseverity-text")
constant(value="\",\"facility\":\"") property(name="syslogfacility-text")
constant(value="\",\"tag\":\"") property(name="syslogtag" format="json")
constant(value="\",\"message\":\"") property(name="msg" format="json")
constant(value="\"}\n")
}
# Forward to central syslog server over TLS
action(
type="omfwd"
target="syslog.internal.example.com"
port="6514"
protocol="tcp"
StreamDriver="gtls"
StreamDriverMode="1"
StreamDriverAuthMode="x509/name"
template="json-audit"
queue.type="LinkedList"
queue.size="50000"
queue.filename="fwd_audit"
queue.saveonshutdown="on"
action.resumeRetryCount="-1"
)
Journald Configuration for Persistent Logging
# /etc/systemd/journald.conf
[Journal]
Storage=persistent
Compress=yes
Seal=yes
SplitMode=uid
MaxRetentionSec=365d
MaxFileSec=30d
SystemMaxUse=10G
SystemKeepFree=2G
ForwardToSyslog=yes
# Query journald for audit events
journalctl _TRANSPORT=audit --since "24 hours ago" --output json-pretty
# Filter by specific audit types
journalctl _AUDIT_TYPE=1112 --since today # user login events
journalctl _AUDIT_TYPE=1100 --since today # user auth events
# Export for offline analysis
journalctl --since "7 days ago" --output export > /backup/journal-export.bin
Application Logging with Structured JSON
import logging
import json
import hashlib
from datetime import datetime, timezone
from functools import wraps
class AuditLogger:
def __init__(self, service_name, logger_name="audit"):
self.service = service_name
self.logger = logging.getLogger(logger_name)
handler = logging.FileHandler("/var/log/app/audit.log")
handler.setFormatter(logging.Formatter("%(message)s"))
self.logger.addHandler(handler)
self.logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
self._prev_hash = None
def log_event(self, event_type, user, resource, action, result,
metadata=None, source_ip=None):
log_entry = {
"timestamp": datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat(),
"service": self.service,
"event_type": event_type,
"user": user,
"resource": resource,
"action": action,
"result": result,
"source_ip": source_ip,
"metadata": metadata or {},
}
# Chain hash for tamper detection
raw = json.dumps(log_entry, sort_keys=True)
log_entry["prev_hash"] = self._prev_hash
log_entry["hash"] = hashlib.sha256(
f"{self._prev_hash}:{raw}".encode()
).hexdigest()
self._prev_hash = log_entry["hash"]
self.logger.info(json.dumps(log_entry))
def log_auth(self, user, action, success, source_ip=None, mfa=False):
self.log_event(
event_type="authentication",
user=user,
resource="auth-service",
action=action,
result="success" if success else "failure",
metadata={"mfa_used": mfa},
source_ip=source_ip,
)
def log_data_access(self, user, resource, operation, record_count=0,
source_ip=None):
self.log_event(
event_type="data_access",
user=user,
resource=resource,
action=operation,
result="success",
metadata={"record_count": record_count},
source_ip=source_ip,
)
def audit_trail(audit_logger, resource_name):
"""Decorator to automatically audit function calls."""
def decorator(func):
@wraps(func)
def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
user = kwargs.get("current_user", "system")
try:
result = func(*args, **kwargs)
audit_logger.log_event(
event_type="operation",
user=user,
resource=resource_name,
action=func.__name__,
result="success",
)
return result
except Exception as e:
audit_logger.log_event(
event_type="operation",
user=user,
resource=resource_name,
action=func.__name__,
result="failure",
metadata={"error": str(e)},
)
raise
return wrapper
return decorator
Fluentd / Fluent Bit Log Aggregation
# fluent-bit.conf - lightweight agent on each node
[SERVICE]
Flush 5
Daemon Off
Log_Level info
Parsers_File parsers.conf
[INPUT]
Name tail
Path /var/log/app/audit.log
Parser json
Tag audit.app
Refresh_Interval 5
Rotate_Wait 30
[INPUT]
Name systemd
Tag audit.system
Systemd_Filter _TRANSPORT=audit
[FILTER]
Name modify
Match audit.*
Add cluster ${CLUSTER_NAME}
Add node ${NODE_NAME}
[OUTPUT]
Name es
Match audit.*
Host elasticsearch.internal.example.com
Port 9200
Index audit-logs
Type _doc
tls On
tls.verify On
Retry_Limit 5
[OUTPUT]
Name s3
Match audit.*
region us-east-1
bucket audit-logs-archive
total_file_size 50M
upload_timeout 10m
s3_key_format /logs/%Y/%m/%d/$TAG/%H_%M_%S.gz
compression gzip
Elasticsearch Index Lifecycle for Retention
{
"policy": {
"phases": {
"hot": {
"min_age": "0ms",
"actions": {
"rollover": {
"max_size": "50gb",
"max_age": "1d"
},
"set_priority": { "priority": 100 }
}
},
"warm": {
"min_age": "7d",
"actions": {
"shrink": { "number_of_shards": 1 },
"forcemerge": { "max_num_segments": 1 },
"set_priority": { "priority": 50 }
}
},
"cold": {
"min_age": "30d",
"actions": {
"freeze": {},
"set_priority": { "priority": 0 }
}
},
"delete": {
"min_age": "365d",
"actions": { "delete": {} }
}
}
}
}
Retention Policy by Compliance Framework
retention_requirements:
soc2:
minimum: 1 year
recommended: 3 years
notes: "Based on audit period and report requirements"
hipaa:
minimum: 6 years
notes: "From date of creation or last effective date"
pci_dss:
minimum: 1 year
immediately_available: 3 months
notes: "Req 10.7 - retain for at least one year, 3 months immediately available"
gdpr:
minimum: "As long as necessary for processing purpose"
notes: "Apply data minimization; delete when no longer needed"
fedramp:
minimum: 3 years
notes: "AU-11 control requirement"
iso27001:
minimum: "Defined by organization policy"
recommended: 3 years
notes: "A.12.4.1 - retention period must be defined"
Log Integrity Verification Script
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# verify-log-integrity.sh - Verify log file checksums against stored hashes
LOG_DIR="/var/log/app"
HASH_FILE="/var/log/app/.checksums"
ALERT_WEBHOOK="${ALERT_WEBHOOK_URL}"
verify_logs() {
local failures=0
while IFS=' ' read -r stored_hash filename; do
if [ -f "$filename" ]; then
current_hash=$(sha256sum "$filename" | awk '{print $1}')
if [ "$stored_hash" != "$current_hash" ]; then
echo "TAMPER DETECTED: $filename"
failures=$((failures + 1))
curl -s -X POST "$ALERT_WEBHOOK" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d "{\"text\":\"ALERT: Audit log tamper detected on $(hostname): $filename\"}"
fi
else
echo "MISSING: $filename"
failures=$((failures + 1))
fi
done < "$HASH_FILE"
return $failures
}
update_checksums() {
find "$LOG_DIR" -name "*.log" -type f -exec sha256sum {} \; > "$HASH_FILE"
chmod 440 "$HASH_FILE"
}
case "${1:-verify}" in
verify) verify_logs ;;
update) update_checksums ;;
*) echo "Usage: $0 {verify|update}" ;;
esac
SIEM Integration Checklist
siem_integration:
log_sources:
- [ ] Operating system auth logs (syslog, journald)
- [ ] Application audit logs (structured JSON)
- [ ] Cloud provider audit trails (CloudTrail, Activity Log, Audit Logs)
- [ ] Database query and access logs
- [ ] Network flow logs and firewall logs
- [ ] Container and orchestrator logs (Kubernetes audit)
- [ ] WAF and CDN access logs
- [ ] VPN and remote access logs
normalization:
- [ ] Common event format (CEF) or OCSF schema
- [ ] Consistent timestamp format (ISO 8601 / UTC)
- [ ] Unified user identity fields
- [ ] Standardized severity levels
alerting_rules:
- [ ] Multiple failed login attempts (brute force)
- [ ] Login from unusual location or device
- [ ] Privilege escalation events
- [ ] Sensitive data bulk export
- [ ] Administrative action outside change window
- [ ] Service account anomalous activity
- [ ] Log forwarding gap or interruption
operational:
- [ ] Log pipeline health monitoring
- [ ] Storage capacity alerting
- [ ] Retention policy enforcement verified
- [ ] Backup of log archives confirmed
- [ ] Access to log systems restricted and audited
Best Practices
- Use structured logging (JSON) with consistent field names across all services
- Ship logs to a centralized platform with write-once storage for tamper protection
- Implement hash chaining or digital signatures for log integrity verification
- Define and enforce retention policies per compliance framework requirements
- Set up real-time alerting for high-severity security events
- Separate audit logs from application debug logs to reduce noise
- Never log sensitive data (passwords, tokens, PII) in audit entries
- Monitor the logging pipeline itself to detect gaps in coverage
- Regularly test log restoration from archives to verify recoverability
- Rotate and compress logs to manage storage while meeting retention windows
FAQ
What does the audit-logging skill do?
Implement centralized audit logging and SIEM integration. Configure log retention and security monitoring. Use when implementing audit trail requirements.
How do I install audit-logging?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills --skill audit-logging in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/audit-logging/ (personal) or .claude/skills/audit-logging/ (project).
Which AI agents can use audit-logging?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is audit-logging safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains audit-logging?
It is published by bagelhole in bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills. It has 386 recorded installs.
More from bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills
linux-hardening
bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills
Apply CIS benchmarks and secure Linux servers. Configure SSH, manage users, implement firewall rules, and enable security features. Use when hardening Linux systems for production or meeting security compliance requirements.
linux-administration
bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills
System administration for Linux servers. Manage packages, services, and system configuration. Use when administering Linux systems.
docker-compose
bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills
Define and run multi-container Docker applications using Docker Compose. Create compose files, manage service dependencies, configure networks and volumes, and orchestrate local development environments. Use when setting up multi-service applications or development environments.
docker-management
bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills
Build, optimize, and troubleshoot Docker containers and images. Create efficient Dockerfiles, manage container lifecycle, configure networking and volumes, and debug container issues. Use when working with Docker, containerization, or container troubleshooting.
systemd-services
bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills
Create and manage systemd services and timers. Configure service dependencies and resource limits. Use when managing system services.
reverse-proxy
bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills
Configure nginx and Traefik as reverse proxies. Implement SSL termination and routing. Use when setting up application gateways.
Popular security skills
azure-compliance
microsoft/azure-skills
Run Azure compliance and security audits with azqr plus Key Vault expiration checks. Covers best-practice assessment, resource review, policy/compliance validation, and security posture checks. WHEN: compliance scan, security audit, BEFORE running azqr (compliance cli tool), Azure best practices, Key Vault expiration check, expired certificates, expiring secrets, orphaned resources, compliance assessment.
minimal-run-and-audit
lllllllama/rigorpilot-skills
Rigor Run skill for README-first deep learning repo reproduction. Use when the task is specifically to capture or normalize evidence from the selected smoke test or documented inference or evaluation command and write standardized reprooutputs/ files, including patch notes when repository files changed. Do not use for training execution, initial repo intake, generic environment setup, paper lookup, target selection, hidden scientific-meaning changes, or end-to-end orchestration by itself.
seo-audit
coreyhaines31/marketingskills
When the user wants to audit, review, or diagnose SEO issues on their site. Also use when the user mentions "SEO audit," "technical SEO," "why am I not ranking," "SEO issues," "on-page SEO," "meta tags review," "SEO health check," "my traffic dropped," "lost rankings," "not showing up in Google," "site isn't ranking," "Google update hit me," "page speed," "core web vitals," "crawl errors," "indexing issues," "stuck on page 2," "striking distance keywords," "title tag rewrite," "low CTR," "local SEO," "Google Business Profile," or "map pack." Use this even if the user just says something vague like "my SEO is bad" or "help with SEO" — start with an audit. For building pages at scale to target keywords, see programmatic-seo. For adding structured data, see schema. For AI search optimization, see ai-seo.
firebase-security-rules-auditor
firebase/agent-skills
Audits Firebase (Firestore, Cloud Storage) security rules for vulnerabilities, privilege escalation, role bypasses, create vs update inconsistencies, resource exhaustion, type safety, size limits, and hasOnly ownership checks. Use when auditing/reviewing rules, running red-team rule assessments, or scoring against auditor checklists. Don't use for Firebase CLI (login, deploy), Auth, Crashlytics, Remote Config, or database queries.
audit
pbakaus/impeccable
Run technical quality checks across accessibility, performance, theming, responsive design, and anti-patterns. Generates a scored report with P0-P3 severity ratings and actionable plan. Use when the user wants an accessibility check, performance audit, or technical quality review.
competitors
coreyhaines31/marketingskills
When the user wants to create competitor comparison or alternative pages for SEO and buyer-facing use. Also use when the user mentions 'alternative page,' 'vs page,' 'competitor comparison,' 'comparison page,' '[Product] vs [Product],' '[Product] alternative,' 'competitive landing pages,' 'how do we compare to X,' 'competitor teardown,' 'audit our competitor pages,' 'are our comparison pages out of date,' or 'competitive asset audit.' Use this for any content that positions your product against competitors. Covers four formats: singular alternative, plural alternatives, you vs competitor, and competitor vs competitor. For auditing existing claims (not researching competitors from scratch, which is competitor-profiling; not technical SEO on these pages, which is seo-audit), use the asset audit here. For internal battle cards and sales-specific competitor docs, see sales-enablement.
