Snowflake Audit Log Detection

Learn how to detect and monitor audit logs in Snowflake environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for SOC 2 compliance.

unauthorized access

SOC 2

snowflake

Why It Matters

The core goal is to identify and monitor all audit log activities within your Snowflake environment, so you can detect suspicious behavior and unauthorized access attempts before they become security incidents. Comprehensive audit log detection in Snowflake is essential for organizations subject to SOC 2 compliance, as it helps you prove you've implemented proper logging and monitoring controls—mitigating the risk of undetected unauthorized access.

Primary Risk: Unauthorized access to sensitive data

Relevant Regulation: SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria

A thorough audit log detection strategy delivers immediate visibility into user activities, laying the foundation for automated threat detection and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • Snowflake ACCOUNTADMIN or SECURITYADMIN role
  • Access to ACCOUNT_USAGE schema
  • Ability to create warehouses and databases

External Tools

  • Snowflake CLI or SnowSQL
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • API credentials

Prior Setup

  • Snowflake account provisioned
  • Network policies configured
  • User authentication configured
  • Data retention policies defined

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. By leveraging advanced AI and natural language processing (NLP) to analyze audit log patterns and detect anomalous activities in Snowflake, Cyera ensures you stay ahead of potential security threats and meet SOC 2 audit requirements with automated compliance reporting.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure audit log access

Enable access to Snowflake's ACCOUNT_USAGE schema and ensure proper roles are assigned for audit log monitoring. Set up dedicated service accounts with minimal privileges.

GRANT USAGE ON DATABASE SNOWFLAKE TO ROLE AUDIT_READER;

2
Enable comprehensive logging

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Integrations → DSPM → Add new. Select Snowflake, provide your account URL and service credentials, then configure audit log collection scope including login attempts, query history, and data access patterns.

3
Set up anomaly detection

Configure AI-powered detection rules to identify unusual access patterns, failed authentication attempts, and suspicious query activities. Set up real-time alerts for critical events and integrate with your SIEM or Security Operations Center.

4
Implement monitoring dashboards

Review audit log analytics, establish baseline behavior patterns, and configure automated reporting for SOC 2 compliance. Schedule regular reviews of access patterns and tune detection sensitivity to reduce false positives.

Architecture & Workflow

Snowflake ACCOUNT_USAGE

Source of audit logs and metadata

Cyera Connector

Collects and processes audit log data

AI Detection Engine

Applies NLP and anomaly detection models

Monitoring & Alerts

Real-time dashboards and notifications

Data Flow Summary

Collect Audit Logs → Send to Cyera → Apply AI Detection → Generate Alerts

Best Practices & Tips

Performance Considerations

  • Use dedicated warehouses for audit log processing
  • Implement log retention policies to manage storage
  • Schedule intensive queries during off-peak hours

Detection Rule Tuning

  • Establish baseline user behavior patterns
  • Adjust thresholds for login anomalies
  • Create allowlists for automated service accounts

Common Pitfalls

  • Overlooking federated authentication logs
  • Insufficient retention for compliance requirements
  • Missing cross-region audit log collection

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🔒 Prevent: Secure audit log configurations 🔧 Fix: Remediate audit log vulnerabilities