Windows Event Logs vs. Text-based Logs

In the heat of an incident, logs are your timeline, evidence, and witness. Most security teams are good at collecting logs. However, the gap often lies in correlating them, especially across Windows Event Logs and application-level text-based logs. That’s where real detection happens.

Most organizations generate terabytes of logs daily from Windows, Linux, cloud environments, and custom applications. These logs often remain isolated:

• Windows Event Logs: Structured, centralized, and accessible via Event Viewer or SIEM solutions.
• Text-based logs: Usually application-specific, stored in raw formats (.log, CSV, JSON), requiring manual parsing and analysis.

Even experienced SOC Analysts and DFIR Specialists sometimes struggle to choose between these two logging methods. Which type of log offers better reliability, readability, or usefulness during an incident?

In this blog, we’ll explain it clearly and concisely. If you’re a SOC Analyst, Incident Responder, or cybersecurity student trying to level up, this one’s for you.

Importance of Logs

IBM’s 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report shows it takes an average of 277 days to detect and contain breaches. That’s more than nine months of lurking threats.

And guess what helps reduce that? Logs.

Logs are at the heart of every solid incident response. They tell the story of what happened, when, where, and sometimes even how. However, the quality and type of log can make all the difference in how fast you detect and respond to threats. Let’s see a real-world example of it, mapping it into actual attacker behavior to relevant logs.

MITRE Technique	Example Log Source	Event ID / Log Clue
T1055 – Process Injection	Windows Event Log	4688 (suspicious parent-child processes)
T1078 – Valid Accounts	Security Log	4624 (Logon Type 10), 4625 (Failed Logons)
T1569 – Scheduled Task	Windows Task Scheduler	4698 (Task creation), 4702 (Task updated)
T1204 – User Execution	Application Logs	App crash logs, suspicious script calls
T1027 – Obfuscated Scripts	PowerShell Logs, Text Logs Script Block Logging	4104: Script block logging with obfuscated or encoded script content 4103: Module logging showing unusual script activity

What Are Windows Event Logs?

Windows Event Logs are the official logging system used by the Windows OS. You’ll find them in the Event Viewer, categorized by:

• System: Hardware or OS events
• Application: Application-specific activities
• Security: Authentication events, permission changes

Windows Event Logs are structured, standardized, and designed to integrate with enterprise monitoring tools like SIEMs and Azure Monitor.

Windows Event IDs:

• 4624: Successful logon (Logon Types: 2 = console, 3 = network, 10 = RDP)
• 4625: Failed logon (useful for brute-force detection)
• 4688: Process creation (parent/child analysis)
• 7045: New service installed
• 1102: Audit log cleared (red flag)
• 4698: Scheduled task created

These logs provide the backbone for timeline reconstruction, especially when filtered by user, IP, or process name.

Pro Tip: Enable command-line auditing via Group Policy: Audit process creation → Include command line in process creation events
This gives you full visibility into PowerShell, cmd, and script arguments inside 4688 events.

What Are Text-based Logs?

While Windows logs are great at tracking system-level actions, they rarely tell you why something broke or how an app responded. Think of .log or .txt files dumped by applications, services, or scripts.

They’re typically stored locally, easily readable in Notepad or any text editor, and often custom-written.

You might see them in:

• Web server logs reveal POST floods, 404 probes, SQLi payloads.
• Application logs surface business logic abuse, failed auths, and unexpected input.
• Script logs help trace automation misuse or misconfigured cron jobs (Linux) or Task Scheduler (Windows).

They’re straightforward, flexible, and require minimal setup. But they’re not without their downsides (more on that soon).

Correlation of Windows Event Logs and Text-based Logs

Step 1: Event Log Entry
Event ID 4624 – RDP logon from IP 10.0.0.8
User: svc-admin, Logon Type: 10

Step 2: Text Log Entry
webapp-error.log:
[2024-03-02 12:21:43] Failed API token validation for user svc-admin

Step 3: Event Log Entry
Event ID 4688 – powershell.exe spawned by explorer.exe
With EncodedCommand argument

These three entries, in sequence, paint a picture:

Stolen credentials → RDP logon → attempted API access → post-exploitation script

That’s a correlation. That’s detection.

Text-based Logs vs. Windows Event Logs

Features	Text-based Logs	Windows Event Logs
Format	Plain text	Structured binary format
Readability	Easily readable (Notepad, cat, grep)	Requires Event Viewer or specialized tools
Customization	Highly customizable (developer-controlled)	Limited to Windows schema
Integration with SIEM tools	Manual integration (may require parsing)	Seamless with tools like Splunk, Sentinel
Security and Integrity	Easy to tamper with unless protected	More secure; supports digital signatures
Performance Overhead	Lightweight	Can be heavier on system resources
Log Size Management	Manual rotation and archival are needed	Built-in log size policies and retention
Best Use Cases	Application-specific logging, development environments	System-level monitoring, security auditing
Storage Location	Usually local files (can be remote)	Centralized in Windows Event Log DB
Alerting and Monitoring	Requires scripting or external tools	Built-in alerting capabilities via Event IDs

Examples: When to Use Each Log Type

Investigating a Ransomware Attack

Use: Windows Event Logs
Track file access, process creation, and user activity. Key Event IDs like 4688 and 4624 provide essential clues.

Debugging a Web Application

Use: Text-based Logs
Check for crashes, input/output issues, or failed requests in error.log or access.log.

Compliance Audits (HIPAA, PCI-DSS)

Use: Windows Event Logs
More secure and centralized, with better audit trail support.

Monitoring Automation Scripts

Use: Text-based Logs
Quick and lightweight for tasks that don’t require structured logging.

Tips for Better Log Management

• Use Both: Combine text-based and event logs for better incident correlation.
• Know Your Event IDs: Key to filtering the signal from the noise.
• Normalize Before Ingestion: Tools like Logstash or Fluentd help prep logs for analysis.
• Set Log Retention Policies: Avoid critical evidence from being overwritten.
• Automate Alerts: Tie Event Log triggers to your SIEM to speed up response times.

Advanced Cyber Threat Hunting and DFIR, SOC Analyst Training with InfosecTrain

Advanced cybersecurity operations are not just about spotting logs—they are about interpreting signals, connecting the dots, and moving faster than the threat.

Correlating Windows Event Logs and text-based logs isn’t a beginner’s skill. It requires a deep understanding of attack behavior, log sources, detection logic, and the right tools.

If you’re serious about mastering this skill, InfosecTrain’s specialized programs can help you go from good to elite.

• Advanced Cyber Threat Hunting and DFIR Training teaches you how to investigate advanced threats, perform log-based hunting, and handle real-world incidents with expert-level precision.
• SOC Analyst Hands-on Training gives you the hands-on skills to analyze logs, build detection rules, and respond to threats like a pro—perfect for those working in a Security Operations Center.

Whether you’re just getting into the SOC role or stepping up your game in threat hunting and DFIR, InfosecTrain’s training programs give you the practical skills, lab access, and expert guidance you need.

Check out the courses and start learning today. Make your next log review count.

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