# Ensure Audit Logging of Session Initiation Events

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000234902-ensure-audit-logging-of-session-initiation-events
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [CIS Amazon Linux 2 Benchmark v3.0.0](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/62000112696) › [CIS Amazon Linux 2 Benchmarks](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/62000169265)
- Last updated: 2026-05-29
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

Profile Applicability: **• Level 2**

Description:  
 Session initiation events capture user logins, logouts, and terminal sessions. Collecting this information is vital for tracking user activity, detecting unauthorized access, and supporting forensic investigations.

Rationale:  
 Auditing session initiation helps monitor system access patterns and quickly identify suspicious or unauthorized login attempts.

Impact:  
 Pros:

-   Provides detailed logs of user sessions for accountability.  
    
-   Supports incident response and compliance requirements.  
    

Cons:

-   May increase audit log volume; requires log management.  
    

Default Value:  
 Audit rules for session initiation may not be enabled by default.

Pre-requisites:

-   Root or sudo privileges to configure audit rules.  
    

Remediation:

### Test Plan:

Using Linux command line:

Check existing audit rules for session events:

auditctl -l | grep session

1.  Verify audit rules exist for pam\_unix or session-related syscalls.
    

### Implementation Plan:

Using Linux command line:

Add audit rules to capture session initiation:

auditctl -w /var/run/utmp -p wa -k session  
auditctl -w /var/log/wtmp -p wa -k session  
auditctl -w /var/log/btmp -p wa -k session

1.  Persist rules by adding them to /etc/audit/rules.d/audit.rules.  
    

### Backout Plan:

Using Linux command line:

Remove or disable session audit rules if needed:

auditctl -W /var/run/utmp -p wa -k session  
auditctl -W /var/log/wtmp -p wa -k session  
auditctl -W /var/log/btmp -p wa -k session

1.  Reload audit daemon configuration.  
    

References:

-   CIS Amazon Linux 2 Benchmark v3.0.0  
    
-   [Linux Audit Framework  
    ](https://linux-audit.com/)
    
-   [NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 - AU-6  
    ](https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-53/rev-5/final#au-6)

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.