All courses
Resource hub
Featured resource
Tech Upskilling Playbook 2025
Tech Upskilling Playbook

Build future-ready tech teams and hit key business milestones with seven proven plays from industry leaders.

Learn more
Hamburger Icon
  • Labs icon Lab
  • Cloud
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Design Custom Logging for the Listed Events

This lab is related to logs. We need to create a custom logging solution to monitor for a set of specific system calls of a process listed in the lab specifications. All of this should be logged under `/log/var` and the name of the file is arbitrary. We need to monitor and log all attempts to write a given file (also provided in the lab specifications). We also need to monitor and log all attempts by a user to access a domain.

Get started Contact sales
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Path Info

Level
Clock icon Intermediate
Duration
Clock icon 1h 0m
Last updated
Clock icon Aug 06, 2025

Contact sales

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.

Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Log System Calls of a Process - sysCalls.py

    Get Process ID

    ps aux | grep sysCalls

    sudo auditctl -a always,exit -S all -F pid=[PID] -k [your key]

  2. Challenge

    Log Attempts to Access a File - /home/cloud_user/test_file.txt 

    sudo auditctl -a always,exit -F path=/home/cloud_user/test_file.txt -F perm=wa -k [your key]

  3. Challenge

    Log Open Files by cloud_user 

    sudo auditctl -a always,exit -S openat -F auid=[UID] -k [your key]

  4. Challenge

    Make Sure the Rules Will Survive a Reboot

    Get the path of the auditd systemd file - it will be at the top of the output

    sudo systemctl cat auditd.service 

    sudo cp /usr/lib/systemd/system/auditd.service /etc/systemd/system/auditd.service

    sudo vim /etc/systemd/system/auditd.service

    Comment out ExecStartPost=-/sbin/augenrules --load

    Uncomment ExecStartPost=-/sbin/auditctl -R /etc/audit/audit.rules

    ESC
:wq
ENTER

    Make the rules permanent

    sudo vim /etc/audit/audit.rules

    -a always,exit -S all -F pid=[PID] -k [your key]
-a always,exit -F path=/home/cloud_user/test_file.txt -F perm=wa -k [your key]
-a always,exit -S openat -F auid=[UID] -k [your key]

    ESC
:wq
ENTER

    Find the log entries in the log files with the key we've used

    sudo ausearch -k [your key]
Pluralsight Skills - Labs - Pluralsight
Author
Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

What's a lab?

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Provided environment for hands-on practice

We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.

Guided walkthrough

Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!

Did you know?

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you get time for practice.
Ready to get started?
View individual plans View team plans