What is the primary function of log management in cybersecurity?

The primary function of log management in cybersecurity is to track and analyze events for suspicious activity. Logs are created by various devices and applications as they operate, capturing a wealth of information about actions taken, system performance, and security events. Analyzing these logs allows cybersecurity professionals to identify unusual patterns or behaviors that might indicate a security incident, such as unauthorized access attempts, data breaches, or malware activities.

Effective log management involves not just collecting logs but also ensuring they are stored securely, correlated for meaningful analysis, and regularly monitored. This proactive approach can significantly enhance an organization's ability to detect and respond to threats quickly and efficiently, thereby improving overall security posture.

The other options focus on aspects that are not central to log management. While deleting old logs can be part of a maintenance routine to manage storage, it's not the primary purpose of log management. Managing hardware resources and ensuring network speed and efficiency are important but are outside the scope of what log management aims to achieve in the context of cybersecurity.