Which practice ensures reliable log timestamps for security monitoring?

• A. Time synchronization
• B. Data deduplication
• C. Password rotation
• D. Data encryption

Answer: (A)

Reliable log timestamps come from keeping all system clocks in harmony. When security events happen across multiple machines, each log entry carries a timestamp, and accurate cross-system timing lets you order events correctly, correlate alerts, and conduct effective investigations. Time synchronization makes sure every device uses a common reference clock, so one system’s 12:00:01 and another’s 12:00:01 actually represent the same moment. This reduces confusion during incident response and helps a SIEM or forensic analysis align events from different sources.

In practice, this is achieved by configuring time protocols such as NTP (Network Time Protocol) or PTP (Precision Time Protocol) to pull time from trusted sources and keep clock drift within tight bounds. It’s also important to standardize on a single time basis, commonly UTC, and ensure hardware clocks are regularly updated to avoid drift when network connectivity is interrupted.

Data deduplication focuses on reducing storage by eliminating duplicate data, not on ensuring timestamps are accurate. Password rotation is about credential hygiene, not timekeeping. Data encryption protects confidentiality and integrity, not the sequencing of events in logs.