During a review of system logs, a security analyst notices an increase in log entries off-hours for a service account. This account is associated with a third-party vendor's update process, which runs monthly maintenance. Which of the following actions should the analyst undertake FIRST to determine if these out-of-cycle log entries are of concern?
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Validate the log entries against the third-party vendor's documented update schedule.
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Investigate the identity and access management policy for potential unauthorized modifications concerning service accounts.
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Physically inspect the system where the service account credentials are stored to check for tampering.
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Analyze the log entries to identify the types of operations performed and if they deviate from known patterns.
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Conduct a user interview to discuss the actions the third-party vendor has performed during the off-hours.
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Correlate the log entries with user badge access records to establish a pattern of physical access during off-hours.
Validating whether the excessive logging aligns with routine maintenance activities is the correct approach. This includes confirming with the third-party vendor's patch management schedule. If there is no correlation, further investigation is warranted as it may indicate an issue such as misconfiguration, a compromised account, or unauthorized actions performed using the service account. Analyzing the log entries themselves is also important, but only after establishing the expected behavior of the account with respect to the vendor's schedule. Physical inspection, discussing with the user, and revisiting the identity and access management policy may not be immediately relevant, as the account is a service account associated with a third-party.
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What is a service account and how is it different from regular user accounts?
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Why is it important to compare log entries with the vendor's update schedule?
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What are the potential risks if unauthorized actions are performed using a service account?