200-201 Host-Based Analysis Practice Question
Which Linux log file is most appropriate for reviewing failed SSH login attempts?
⚠ Common exam trap
200-201 often tests the confusion between general system logs (syslog, messages) and dedicated authentication logs (auth.log, secure) — candidates may pick syslog because it 'contains everything' when auth.log is the precise answer for SSH failures.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
/var/log/auth.log
/var/log/auth.log is the standard Linux log file that records authentication events, including successful and failed SSH login attempts, sudo usage, and PAM-related messages. On Debian/Ubuntu systems, sshd logs authentication failures here via the authpriv facility. This makes it the most appropriate file for reviewing failed SSH logins.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
/var/log/auth.log
Why this is correct
On Debian and Ubuntu systems, the SSH daemon writes authentication events, including failed login attempts, to /var/log/auth.log via the authpriv facility. This makes it the appropriate file for reviewing failed SSH logins on those distributions.
- ✗
/var/log/messages
Why it's wrong here
On many distributions, /var/log/messages aggregates general system and kernel messages, so SSH authentication failures may not appear there at all; sshd writes them to /var/log/auth.log or /var/log/secure. It is tempting because messages is a familiar general-purpose log, and it would be the right choice for reviewing kernel or service startup events.
- ✗
/var/log/kern.log
Why it's wrong here
kern.log records kernel and driver messages such as hardware and firewall events; sshd writes authentication failures to /var/log/auth.log. It is tempting because kern.log is a standard syslog file, but it is the correct source for kernel-level events, not SSH authentication.
- ✗
/var/log/syslog
Why it's wrong here
/var/log/syslog records general system activity, and on Debian-based systems it may capture some SSH entries, but authentication failures are written to /var/log/auth.log, so syslog alone is unreliable for this. It is tempting as the default catch-all log, and it would be correct for reviewing cron jobs or general daemon output.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.