Linux Security Habit #14: I Snapshot Network State Before I Even Look at Logs

Source: Dev.to

Why logs should not be first

• Logs can be rotated.
• If a system is compromised, it almost always needs live network activity.

That’s why I snapshot the network state before reading any log lines. The snapshot often tells me more in 30 seconds than logs do in 30 minutes.

DNS behavior

Taking a snapshot “freezes” the moment in time. Even if the attacker disconnects seconds later, you now have proof of what was happening on the network.

Why this habit matters

Capturing the network snapshot first prevents the worst mistake in incident response: acting on incomplete or misleading log data.

If you want this automated

I built a small tool that automates this exact habit.

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It runs fast, does not modify system state, and gives you a clean evidence bundle to analyze calmly.

Strengthen SSH before incidents happen

If SSH exposure is part of your threat model, this helps catch attacks in real time.

🔐 SSH‑IDS — Real‑Time SSH Intrusion Detection for Linux

Free checklist (no spam)

If you want to harden SSH the right way before things go wrong:

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Final thought

Logs tell you what survived. Capturing the live network state first gives you the context you need to understand how the incident unfolded.