Lesson Goal: Learn how to read raw computer data to find errors, track user activity, and identify security threats.
Reading the Matrix
Computers record everything that happens in hidden files called System Logs. If a website crashes or a hacker tries to steal a password, the logs will show exactly when and how it happened.
Log files look messy, but they follow a strict pattern. To read them, you must use scanning. You don't read logs like a normal sentence. Instead, your eyes should jump to the timestamps, the User IDs, and the Status codes (like SUCCESS or FAIL).
Go to the next tab to learn the security vocabulary, then practice scanning real server logs in the Practice tab!
