Our compliance team has just laid down some pretty extreme requirements: we need to log every possible action—API calls, database queries, file access, user actions, and more—for a whopping seven years. This is definitely going to drive our CloudTrail costs through the roof, not to mention the outrageous S3 storage fees. They're also pushing for real-time alerts on 'suspicious activity', which seems to encompass absolutely everything. I'm genuinely worried that the costs for logging alone may end up being higher than our compute expenses! Has anyone faced these types of unreasonable compliance demands? How can I push back against these requirements without getting the lecture about not caring about security?
5 Answers
I've been in a similar situation before. We had an auditor request that we log everything too, but we pushed back with a risk-based logging approach. We showed them that logging every single database call was actually increasing security risks, causing alert fatigue and blowing our budget due to storage costs. It's all about finding a balance and proving your case to them!
Exactly! I once faced a similar demand and had to explain that our database structure made that impractical.
Lol, they'll probably even want screenshots of those logs. I remember when I went through this. It felt like I had to take a picture of every output for the auditors. It took forever—totally unrealistic!
Right?! Takes me back to those endless audit cycles.
It's hilarious and frustrating! I ended up creating a parser that generated 'screenshots' just to speed things up.
In my experience with SOC 2 audits, arguing against excessive logging requirements can be effective. Ask them to show you where in the SOC 2 framework it states that everything must be logged—they’ll probably realize it’s their interpretation. If they refuse to budge, consider escalating to their superiors. Remember, the standards aren't as strict as they might make it sound!
Great advice! It’s important to challenge unreasonable requests.
That’s right, most of the time they've got some leverage, but they don’t want to push it too far.
If you can, estimate the cost of all this logging and present it to your compliance team. It might help them realize how unreasonable these demands are. If they still insist, you could just log everything and let them deal with the bill; cover your bases to ensure documentation is on hand. Remember, not everything needs to be logged; focus on what's necessary and find some middle ground.
That's a solid strategy! Let them see the real financial impact of their demands.
Good approach! It's about making them aware of the financial implications.
Just to rant a bit, SOC 2 isn't a technical standard but an accounting framework. It's basically there to check a box rather than ensure actual security. A lot of times, your auditor's demands stem from misunderstanding what SOC 2 really entails. Most likely, they have no basis for demanding seven years of logging unless your internal policies specifically state that. I’d recommend asking to see the exact requirements—they might not even have them documented.
Thanks for clarifying that! Helps to keep perspective when dealing with these demands.
Exactly! You may even want to push back by asking for documented requirements from their end.
Good point! Plus, having sensitive data in those logs can be a huge risk in itself.