System clocks sync to an authoritative time source.
What it actually means
If two systems' clocks disagree, correlating their logs during an investigation becomes guesswork. Systems must sync to an authoritative time source (NTP) so audit time stamps line up.
Pass or fail — an assessor needs a "yes" to each
- Systems sync to an authoritative time source (NTP).
- Audit time stamps are consistent across systems.
What to have ready
- NTP/time-sync configuration
- Confirmation of a consistent authoritative source
Where teams trip up
- Drifting clocks across servers/endpoints
- Different time zones not normalized in logs
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