Auditing in MongoDB

Setting up auditing in MongoDB

Auditing in MongoDB involves tracking and recording activities within the database to ensure accountability and detect any unauthorized access or changes. MongoDB provides an auditing feature that logs operations and events, allowing you to monitor and review database activities.

Configuring Auditing

To enable auditing, you need to configure the auditing settings in your MongoDB configuration file. You can specify which events to audit and where to store the audit logs.

security:
  authorization: enabled
auditLog:
  destination: file
  format: JSON
  path: /var/log/mongodb/auditLog.json
  filter: '{ atype: { $in: ["authCheck", "createCollection"] } }'

Auditing Events

MongoDB supports auditing a wide range of events, including authentication checks, CRUD operations, and administrative actions. You can customize the audit filter to include or exclude specific events based on your requirements.

Reviewing Audit Logs

Audit logs are stored in the specified file or destination. You can review these logs to monitor database activities and identify any suspicious behavior or unauthorized access.

{
  "atype": "authCheck",
  "ts": "2023-07-04T12:34:56Z",
  "local": { "ip": "127.0.0.1", "port": 27017 },
  "remote": { "ip": "192.168.1.100", "port": 12345 },
  "result": 0
}

Best Practices for Auditing

When implementing auditing, consider the following best practices:

• Enable auditing for critical operations and events to ensure comprehensive monitoring.
• Regularly review audit logs to detect any unusual or unauthorized activities.
• Store audit logs in a secure and tamper-proof location.
• Integrate auditing with your organization's overall security and compliance framework.