Chrome log events

Depending on your Google Workspace edition, you might have access to the security investigation tool, which has more advanced features. For example, super admins can identify, triage, and take action on security and privacy issues. Learn more

As your organization's administrator, you can run searches and take action on security issues related to Chrome log events. For example, you can view a record of actions to track events related to managed Chrome browsers and ChromeOS devices. You can also see when there has been an unsafe site visit.

Before you begin

To see all Chrome events:

• The browser must be managed by Chrome Browser Cloud Management, a ChromeOS device that’s enrolled with your organization, or a user profile managed in Chrome browser.
• You must set up reporting for Chrome security events. For details, go to Manage Chrome Enterprise reporting connectors.
• To review Chrome data-protection events, you must set up Chrome Enterprise Premium . For details, go to Protect Chrome users with Chrome Enterprise Premium threat and data protection.

 

Run a search for Chrome log events

Your ability to run a search depends on your Google edition, your administrative privileges, and the data source. You can run a search on all users, regardless of their Google Workspace edition.

Audit and investigation tool

To run a search for log events, first choose a data source. Then choose one or more filters for your search.

1. Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.

   If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.

2. Go to Menu  Reporting > Audit and investigation > Chrome log events.

   Requires having the Reports administrator privilege.

3. Click Add a filter, and then select an attribute.
4. In the pop-up window, select an operatorselect a valueclick Apply.
   • (Optional) To create multiple filters for your search, repeat this step.
   • (Optional) To add a search operator, above Add a filter, select AND or OR.
5. Click Search.

   Note: Using the Filter tab, you can include simple parameter and value pairs to filter the search results. You can also use the Condition builder tab, where the filters are represented as conditions with AND/OR operators.

Security investigation tool

Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition

To run a search in the security investigation tool, first choose a data source. Then, choose one or more conditions for your search. For each condition, choose an attribute, an operator, and a value. 

1. Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.

   If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.

2. Go to Menu  Security > Security center > Investigation tool.

   Requires having the Security center administrator privilege.

3. Click Data source and select Chrome log events.
4. Click Add Condition.
   Tip: You can include one or more conditions in your search or customize your search with nested queries. For details, go to Customize your search with nested queries.
5. Click Attributeselect an option.
   For a complete list of attributes, go to the Attribute descriptions section (later on this page).
6. Select an operator.
7. Enter a value or select a value from the list.
8. (Optional) To add more search conditions, repeat steps 4–7.
9. Click Search.
   You can review the search results from the investigation tool in a table at the bottom of the page.
10. (Optional) To save your investigation, click Save enter a title and descriptionclick Save.

Notes

• In the Condition builder tab, filters are represented as conditions with AND/OR operators. You can also use the Filter tab to include simple parameter and value pairs to filter the search results.
• If you give a user a new name, you will not see query results with the user's old name. For example, if you rename [e-mail] to [e-mail], you will not see results for events related to [e-mail].

Attribute descriptions

For this data source, you can use the following attributes when searching log event data:

Attribute	Description
Actor group name	The group name of the actor. For more information, go to Filtering results by Google Group. To add a group to your filtering groups allowlist: Select Actor group name. Click Filtering groups. The Filtering groups page appears. Click Add Groups. Search for a group by entering the first few characters of its name or email address. When you see the group you want, select it. (Optional) To add another group, search for and select the group. When you finish selecting groups, click Add. (Optional) To remove a group, click Remove group . Click Save.
Actor organizational unit	Organizational unit of the actor.
Application name	Name of the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Browser version	Number assigned to the version of Chrome browser, such as 123.0.6312.59
Client type	Managed Chrome surface where the event happened. Unknown—Client type is unknown. Chrome browser—Browser is managed with Chrome Browser Cloud Management. Chrome profile—Profile is managed with Chrome browser user-level management. ChromeOS device—Device is managed with Chrome Browser Cloud Management.
Content hash	The SHA256 hash of the content.
Content name	The name of the content downloaded, such as a file name.
Content size*	The size of the downloaded content, in bytes.
Content type	The media (MIME) type of content downloaded, such as text/html.
Date	Date and time of the event, displayed in your browser's default time zone.
Destination	The destination file system for file transfer events. For data control events, the destination file system or destination URL for file uploads or copy and paste actions.
Device name	The name of the device.
Device platform	The OS that the browser is running.
Device user	The user's name as reported by the OS.
Directory API ID	Device ID returned by the directory API.
Domain*	The domain where the action occurred.
Extension action type	The type of chrome extension action that triggers the event. Can be Install, Uninstall, or Update.
Extension source	The source from where the chrome extension was installed. Can be Chrome Web Store, External, or Unspecified.
Extension version	The version of the extension.
Event	The logged event action, such as Content unscanned, Unsafe site visit, Password reuse , Sensitive data transfer, Malware transfer, or Content transfer.
Event reason*	Details about the action, such as File is password protected.
Event result	The result of the event based on the policies and rules set. Can be Bypassed, Blocked, Warned, Allowed, or Detected.
Profile user	The Chrome browser profile username.
Scan ID	Scan ID of the content analysis scan that triggered the event.
Source	The source relating to the event: File transfer events—The source file system. Data control events—The source URL for file uploads or copy and paste actions. Web content upload events—The source from where the data was copied. It can be a URL or a source type, such as Incognito mode, a different Chrome profile, or a computer's clipboard.
Tab URL	The URL that the tab redirects to when downloading a file. This URL can trigger the File downloaded data loss prevention (DLP) rule. For example, when a user downloads a file from Google Drive, the tab URL (drive.google.com) or the download URL (googleusercontent.com) can trigger the rule.  Note: Tab URL and URL are identical, except for downloads.
Trigger type	The user action that triggered the event, such as Unknown, Page printed, File upload, File download, Web content upload, or File transfer.
Trigger user	The username relating to the event: Password reuse—The username that the password belongs to Password reset—The username that the password is reset for
URL	The URL that generated the event.
URL category	The content category of the URL that generated the event.
User agent	The user agent string of the browser used to access the content. For example, Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_14_6) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/84.0.4140.0 Safari/537.36.
Virtual device ID*	The ID of the device. The value is platform-specific.

* You cannot create reporting rules with these filters. Learn more about reporting rules versus activity rules.

Filter data by Threat or Data Protection events

1. Open the log events as described above in Access Chrome log event data.
2. Click Add a filterEvent.
3. Select the operator.
4. From the drop-down list, select an option.
5. Click Apply.

Chrome Threat event descriptions

Event value	Description	Reporting connector support
Crash events	A crash, for either a tab or the browser, is detected.	Supported on Chrome browser version 112 and later
Extension install	A browser extension was installed, either by user action or by the administrator.	Supported on Chrome browser version 110 and later
Malware transfer	The content uploaded or downloaded by the user is considered to be malicious, dangerous, or unwanted.	Supported on Chrome browser version 104 and later
Login events	Note: For this event to be reported, Password Manager must be enabled. A successful user sign-in to a domain with the URL specified in the Reporting Connector settings. You can see the event in the Google Security Center. Unsuccessful sign-ins are not reported.	Supported on Chrome browser version 105 and later
Password breach	Note: For this event to be reported, Password Manager must be enabled. When a user types their username and password into a website, Chrome warns them if they have been compromised in a data breach on some site or app. For more details, see Change unsafe passwords in your Google Account. Chrome also suggests that the user changes them everywhere they were used. For the specified URLs in the Admin console, the breach also is displayed in the Google Security Center window if the password was saved in Password Manager. Each URL is displayed as a separate record.	Supported on Chrome browser version 105 and later
Password changed	The user resets their password for the first-signed-in user account.	Supported on Chrome browser version 104 and later
Password reuse	The user has entered a password into a URL that’s outside of the list of allowed enterprise login URLs.	Supported on Chrome browser version 104 and later
Unsafe site visit	The URL visited by the user is considered to be deceptive or malicious.	Supported on Chrome browser version 104 and later

Chrome Data Protection event descriptions

Chrome Data Protection events are available only for customers who have purchased Chrome Enterprise Premium .

For more information about Chrome Enterprise Premium and how to set it up, go to Protect Chrome users with Chrome Enterprise Premium threat and data protection.

Event value	Description	Reporting connector support
Content transfer	Content was uploaded, downloaded, or printed from Chrome and sent for Malware or Sensitive data scanning	Supported on Chrome browser version 104 and later Requires Chrome Enterprise Premium
Content unscanned	There are multiple reasons why a file is unscanned, including File is password protected File is too large DLP scan was unsuccessful Malware scan was unsuccessful Malware scan unsupported file type Service unavailable	Supported on Chrome browser version 104 and later Requires Chrome Enterprise Premium
Sensitive data transfer	The content uploaded, downloaded, printed, or pasted by the user is considered to contain sensitive data, as detected by the Data Protection rules.	Supported on Chrome browser version 104 and later Requires Chrome Enterprise Premium
URL filtering	The user tried to access a URL that matched a Data Protection rule set by the admin	Supported on Chrome browser version 113 and later Requires Chrome Enterprise Premium

Important: Content upload attempts, not completed uploads, are logged for Chrome Data Protection events. Uploads might not be successful due to server failures, network errors, user cancellation of the upload, or websites that don’t support file or folder uploads.

ChromeOS Security event descriptions  

• For managed guest, kiosk, or unaffiliated user sessions, user email addresses are not collected. For more details on user affiliation, see Understand user affiliation.
• To collect data for these events, you must enable all reporting or the specific options as detailed below. For details, see Set ChromeOS device policies > Report device telemetry, Set ChromeOS device policies > Report device OS information, and Set Chrome policies for users or browsers > Data controls reporting.

Event value	Description	Reporting connector support	Required policy
ChromeOS login failure	The user failed to sign in to their ChromeOS device.	Supported	Report device telemetryLogin/Logout status
ChromeOS login success	The user successfully signed in to their ChromeOS device.	Supported
ChromeOS logout	The user successfully signed out of their ChromeOS device.	Supported
ChromeOS user added	A user account was added to a ChromeOS device.	Supported
ChromeOS user removed	A user account was removed from a ChromeOS device.	Supported
ChromeOS lock success	The screen of a ChromeOS device was locked.	Not supported
ChromeOS unlock success	The screen of a ChromeOS device was unlocked.	Not supported
ChromeOS unlock failure	There was a failed attempt to unlock a ChromeOS device.	Not supported
ChromeOS device boot state change	A ChromeOS device’s boot state has been switched to either Developer or Verified mode. Devices must be enrolled in a managed domain both before and after switching boot state to generate a boot state change event.	Not supported	Report device OS informationOS boot mode
ChromeOS USB device added	A USB device was added to a ChromeOS device. This event is only reported for affiliated users.	Supported	Report device OS informationUSB peripheral status
ChromeOS USB device removed	A USB device was removed from a ChromeOS device. This event is only reported for affiliated users.	Supported
ChromeOS USB status change	An affiliated user signs into the device all existing USB connections will be reported.	Supported
ChromeOS CRD host started	An affiliated user initiated a Chrome Report Desktop (CRD) host session on a managed device.	Supported	Report device OS informationCRD sessions
ChromeOS CRD client connected	A user connected to the Chrome Report Desktop (CRD) session.	Supported
ChromeOS CRD client disconnected	A user disconnected from the Chrome Report Desktop (CRD) session.	Supported
ChromeOS CRD host stopped	An affiliated user stopped a Chrome Report Desktop (CRD) host session on a managed device.	Supported
ChromeOS rollback successful	A ChromeOS device completed an OS rollback.	Not supported	Report device OS informationReport OS update status
ChromeOS version update successful	A user successfully updated a ChromeOS device to the target ChromeOS version.	Not supported
ChromeOS version update failure	A ChromeOS device failed to update to the target ChromeOS version.	Not supported
Chrome OS device powerwash initiated	A ChromeOS device initiated a powerwash.	Not supported
Data access control	A user has triggered ChromeOS data control rules applied by the admin.	Supported	Data controls reporting

Manage log event data

Manage search results column data

You can control which data columns appear in your search results.

1. At the top-right of the search results table, click Manage columns .
2. (Optional) To remove current columns, click Remove .
3. (Optional) To add columns, next to Add new column, click the Down arrow  and select the data column.
   Repeat as needed.
4. (Optional) To change the order of the columns, drag the data column names.
5. Click Save.

Export search result data

You can export search results to Google Sheets or to a CSV file.

1. At the top of the search results table, click Export all.
2. Enter a name  click Export.
   The export displays below the search results table under Export action results.
3. To view the data, click the name of your export.
   The export opens in Google Sheets.

Export limits vary:

• The total results of the export are limited to 100,000 rows.
• Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition

  If you have the security investigation tool, the total results of the export are limited to 30 million rows.

For more information, see Export search results.

When and how long is data available?

Go to Data retention and lag times.

Take action based on search results

Create activity rules & set up alerts

• You can set up alerts based on log event data using reporting rules. For instructions, see Create and manage reporting rules.
• Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition

  To help prevent, detect, and remediate security issues efficiently, you can automate actions in the security investigation tool and set up alerts by creating activity rules. To set up a rule, set up conditions for the rule, and then specify what actions to perform when the conditions are met. For details and instructions, see Create and manage activity rules.

Take action based on search results

Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition

After you run a search in the security investigation tool, you can act on your search results. For example, you can run a search based on Gmail log events, and then use the tool to delete specific messages, send messages to quarantine, or send messages to users' inboxes. For more details, go to Take action based on search results.

Manage your investigations

Supported editions for this feature: Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus; Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus; Education Standard and Education Plus; Enterprise Essentials Plus; Cloud Identity Premium. Compare your edition

View your list of investigations

To view a list of the investigations that you own and that were shared with you, click View investigations . The investigation list includes the names, descriptions, and owners of the investigations, and the date last modified. 

From this list, you can take action on any investigations that you own—for example, to delete an investigation. Check the box for an investigation and then click Actions.

Note: Directly above your list of investigations, under Quick access, you can view recently saved investigations.

Configure settings for your investigations

As a super administrator, click Settings  to:

• Change the time zone for your investigations. The time zone applies to search conditions and results.
• Turn on or off Require reviewer. For more details, go to Require reviewers for bulk actions.
• Turn on or off View content. This setting allows admins with the appropriate privileges to view content.
• Turn on or off Enable action justification.

For instructions and details, go to Configure settings for your investigations.

Share, delete & duplicate investigations

To save your search criteria or share it with others, you can create and save an investigation, and then share, duplicate, or delete it.

For details, go to Save, share, delete, and duplicate investigations.

Chrome extension telemetry data

Available only for customers who have purchased a Google Security Operations license.

You can capture Chrome extension telemetry data in Google Security Operations. Collect extension telemetry data from within Chrome, and send it to Google Security Operations to provide instant analysis and context on risky activity.

1. Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.

   If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.

2. Go to Menu  Chrome browser > Settings. The User & browser settings page opens by default.

   Requires having the Mobile Device Management administrator privilege.

3. Go to Browser reporting.
4. Click Event reporting and select Enable event reporting.
5. Click Additional settings and check the Extension telemetry reports box.
6. Click Save.
7. Go to Menu  Chrome browser > Connectors.

   Requires having the Chrome administrator privilege.

8. Open a Google Security Operations configuration  click DetailsEdit.
9. Go to User & browser events, and for Optional event types check the Extension telemetry reports box. Alternatively, click New provider configuration to create a new configuration where you want to receive extension telemetry events.
10. Click Save.

For more information about Google Security Operations and how to set it up, contact Google Cloud Security.

Chrome extension telemetry data

Chrome extension value	Description	Reporting connector support
chrome.cookies.get	Retrieves information about a single cookie. API that allows for manipulation of cookies. The telemetry service tracks API calls and arguments to expose cookie theft.	Supported on Chrome browser version 129 and later. Requires a Google Security Operations license to view the telemetry data.
chrome.cookies.get(All)	A Chrome extension telemetry signal. Retrieves all cookies from a single cookie store that match the given information. API that allows for manipulation of cookies. The telemetry service tracks API calls and arguments to expose cookie theft.	Supported on Chrome browser version 129 and later. Requires a Google Security Operations license to view the telemetry data.
chrome.tabs	A Chrome extension telemetry signal. This API provides controls over tabs. The telemetry service tracks usage of the API methods of create, update, and remove to expose search or browser hijacking.	Supported on Chrome browser version 129 and later. Requires a Google Security Operations license to view the telemetry data.
Remote hosts contacted	A Chrome extension telemetry signal. The telemetry service records a list of any remote hosts that are contacted using http(s) and websocket(s).	Supported on Chrome browser version 129 and later. Requires a Google Security Operations license to view the telemetry data.
Off-store extensions	A Chrome extension telemetry signal. The telemetry service tracks file names and hashes from extensions that are not installed from the Chrome Web Store.	Supported on Chrome browser version 129 and later. Requires a Google Security Operations license to view the telemetry data.

Related topics for security center

• Start an investigation based on a dashboard chart
• Create a custom chart based on an investigation
• Start an investigation from the alert center
• Investigate reports of malicious emails
• Investigate file sharing
• Investigate users across data sources