What is the actual objective of analyzing firewall log files?

• A. Determine traffic as usual
• B. Determine traffic as unusual
• C. Determine traffic volume
• D. Determine network topology

Answer: (B)

The main idea is to look for anomalies in traffic. Firewall logs capture each connection attempt and its details (source and destination, ports, protocol, time, whether it was allowed or blocked). By analyzing these logs, you establish what normal traffic looks like and then flag activity that deviates from that baseline—like repeated failed logins, unusual port usage, traffic from unexpected locations, or sudden spikes in blocks. Detecting those unusual patterns is the purpose because it helps uncover potential threats, misconfigurations, or policy violations so you can respond or investigate.

Other options miss the security focus: just determining traffic as usual isn’t about detecting threats; focusing on traffic volume ignores the context and quality of traffic; and determining network topology isn’t what firewall log analysis is for, since logs track events and security-relevant activity, not how the network is laid out.