Encryption  |  Log forwarding  |  syslog

Syslog forwarding over TLS: getting the operational layer right

Plaintext syslog crossing a network boundary in 2026 is a finding waiting to happen. The IETF defined encrypted syslog years ago in RFC 5425: TCP/6514, mutual TLS where the trust model needs it. What still trips teams up is rarely the protocol itself — it’s certificate lifecycle, framing mismatches, and forwarders that fall over when the collector blinks. Here’s the short version: which standards matter, where teams break the framing, and the four operational habits that decide whether the pipeline holds up.

Linux  |  syslog

rsyslog vs syslog-ng: Which is the right log shipper?

Well, no doubt logging is the nervous system of any IT infrastructure. From troubleshooting outages to satisfying compliance audits and threat management, having the right log management pipeline can make the difference between smooth operations and chaotic firefighting. For decades, syslog-ng and rsyslog have been two of the most widely used log management tools for Unix and Linux environments. Both provide implementations of the original 1980s syslog protocol and are designed to collect, process, and forward log messages across networks.

syslog

Need to replace syslog-ng? Changing to NXLog is easier than you think

syslog-ng and NXLog are both powerful log collectors providing flexible log processing. However, you might be in a position where you need to switch from syslog-ng to NXLog. Whether it’s because syslog-ng doesn’t support an operating system or you want to upgrade your log collection solution to one that can be centrally managed, converting your syslog-ng configuration to NXLog is a simple task. How do syslog-ng and NXLog differ? syslog-ng and NXLog are alike in many ways.