I recently attended the awesome SANS DFIR, Mac and iOS Forensics and Incident Response course with Sarah Edwards. This has obviously given me lots of great inspiration on how to negotiate Mac analysis in general and to take a closer look at some of those system files that we covered in training.
Daily Routines Mac Os Catalina
I’ve spent a little bit of time digging through the log files on my MacBook (Mojave 10.14.2). I’m sure this isn’t new to most practised Unix beards but for those who aren’t aware, there’s a really great little log file called daily.out in /var/log. I had previously given little credence to this log but realised it can be used to determine a whole wealth of useful information. I also reviewed the weekly.out and monthly.out files but these were, in my case, far less granular.
At a high level daily.out contains information relating to disk usage and networking, this file is written at least daily and the configurations for all three of the periodic logs are stored in plist files in the following location:
The daily script removes old log files, “scratch” and “junk” files, backs up the NetInfo database, reports a variety of system and network statistics, and rotates the system.log file. Under OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard, the daily script also cleans up scratch fax files and prunes asl.log, the log for the Apple System Logging facility. Mac OS, operating system (OS) developed by the American computer company Apple Inc. The OS was introduced in 1984 to run the company’s Macintosh line of personal computers (PCs). The Macintosh heralded the era of graphical user interface (GUI) systems, and it inspired Microsoft Corporation to develop its own GUI, the Windows OS. Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about Momentum Habit Tracker - Routines, Goals & Rituals. Download Momentum Habit Tracker - Routines, Goals & Rituals for macOS 10.10 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. The primary option for encrypting data in OS X is FileVault, which is Apple’s full-disk encryption technology. This enables a 128-bit AES encryption routine on the boot drive, in which the operating system, applications, and all data on the drive are encrypted.
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.periodic-*****.plist
After reviewing the content of this file, it made me consider how this might assist in some of my casework?
Disk Usage
Firstly, I borrowed some grep skills from a very knowledgeable and tall colleague on my team to see if we could parse out just some specific information from the daily.out file. We extracted the lines only containing the dates, followed by the lines which related specifically to disk usage.
From this, we were able to find entries dating back as early as 3 months, and that the log contains:
- Logical volumes mounted at the time entries are written
- Size of volumes
- Space used on volumes
As you can imagine, disk volume information will be highly valuable in showing drives or images which were attached when the log was written and especially if you know the volume name used by a device you’re looking to prove access to.
We can also ascertain some other information from this log which is quite valuable.
Bootcamp!
You may have an instance where a suspect, subject or general bad person is saying they have never used their Bootcamp install, however, you can see from the Bootcamp disk usage that the volume is being written to and from regularly. Perhaps a big chunk of data has been deleted before a date of interest?
Uptime
Another interesting piece from the daily.out file is that it will show uptime of the system when the log entries are written. This could help prove whether or not the system was switched on and in use over a specific period.
This may also show some interesting information about account usage on the computer. As Mac computers generally tend to be used by individuals, this means there’s usually only ever one account logged on at any time. If you have an experienced user who is elevating to root every day, then seeing multiple accounts logged on may not be uncommon. Although, if an inexperienced user who has no knowledge of the root account, is logged on many times when another account is logged on, it may be suspicious or warrant further analysis.
Again, we extracted the lines from the daily.out file we are interested in using a simple grep command:
As you can see we can pull some interesting information about computer and account usage:
- Shows uptime of the system at the point in which the daily.out entry is written
- Also shows the number of users logged on, remember this is usually going to be one
There are also some very useful network interface statistics listed in this file which are probably more relevant to IR investigations but we may look at these another time.
Reference:
It’s no secret that daily routines can bring joy and purpose to your everyday life. Routines ensure that the important things are prioritised and—in theory—they make life simpler.
Having said that, I know from personal experience that things don’t always go to plan! If you’re not intentional with how you create your routines, they can occasionally lead to unintended consequences such as added stress or even guilt.
After all, who hasn’t decided to implement the “perfect morning routine”… only to realise after a few days that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew? You end up giving up on the idea and feeling worse than before you started.
I know this firsthand because I struggled for years to create meaningful daily routines—you know, the kind I could actually follow through with!
It all felt like a mystery to me… until I realised (as always!) that the key is simplicity. Here are five ways I simplified my daily routines. These tips have completely changed my approach and I hope you’ll find them useful too.
Why Create Daily Routines?
In order to simplify your daily routines, I think it’s important to clarify WHY we create them in the first place.
- What purpose do daily routines serve?
- Why do we want them in our lives?
- What is the point of investing precious time and energy?
While the details will undoubtedly be different for everyone, ultimately all routines should serve the same purpose: ensuring that the important things are accounted for every day.
This might involve spending quality time with family, learning new skills, making time for rest, keeping a tidy home or saving for the future. Whatever matters to YOU, routines are a way of making sure that the most important things get prioritised.
Keeping this front of mind is essential because it’s easy to get distracted when creating your routines. After all, a quick Google search reveals thousands of “best daily routine” suggestions. There is so much we think we *should* be doing—but what are you really trying to achieve?
Ultimately, the choices you make should reflect your personal priorities. Get this wrong and I can guarantee that you’re setting yourself up for failure. Instead of empowering you, your daily routines will end up feeling like another chore on your already overflowing to-do list. (The last thing anyone needs!)
So to recap, get clear on the purpose of your routines first—and then the following tips will help you simplify and follow through.
If you’re not sure where to start, then I invite you to check out my course Values + Vision! Together, let’s get crystal clear about what matters most to YOU.
Enough with spreading yourself thin and trying to make everyone else happy. Your time and energy are precious, so stop wasting it on things that don’t deserve your attention.
Instead, learn how to align your life with your personal vision. Step into your power, make yourself a priority and start living your truth. Click here to get started today!
“As I had previously worked on living a value driven life I wasn’t sure I would get anything more out of this, but The Values + Vision course challenged many of my thoughts and I believe it will increase my abilities to live my best life.” — Jennifer W 46 Glen Cove, Values + Vision Student
5 Ways to Simplify Your Daily Routines
Now that you’ve made an intentional decision about what to include in your daily routines, let’s talk about how to simplify and put them into action!
WORK WITH YOUR NATURAL RHYTHMS
My number one tip for creating daily routines is to work with your natural rhythms. There’s no need to do things the hard way! Instead, keep things simple by paying attention to what feels natural and easy for you.
For example, let’s say that you want to include more physical activity in your daily routine. Your first instinct might be to start going to the gym every morning. It sounds like a good idea and it works for a lot of people … but before you decide, I invite you to think about how you naturally feel throughout the day.
Daily Routines Mac Os Download
- What types of physical activity do you enjoy the most?
- When you work out for fun, when does it normally happen?
- Have you tried going to the gym in the morning before? And if so, how did it feel?
I know some people swear by their morning gym workouts but personally, I’ve tried it and it never felt good. My body tells me that I feel my best when I have a slow start to the day.
With this in mind, it doesn’t make sense for me to force myself into a 6 am spin class. More than likely, I’ll never make it out the front door—and after a few days of beating myself up for not going, I’ll completely abandon the idea.
I don’t like punishing myself so I choose to do what feels good instead. This looks like gentle yoga at home, an early afternoon pilates class, or a long walk in the early evening. I actually follow through with these plans because I’m listening to my body and doing what feels natural.
BUILD IN FLEXIBILITY
My next tip doesn’t work for everyone—I know there are some people who adore strict daily routines—but for me, flexibility is SO important.
As a work-at-home mum with a toddler (and another baby on the way!) my free time and energy levels are all over the place. My daily needs are always changing and to be completely honest, I crave variety! Too much structure definitely leaves me feeling unsettled.
I’m sure a lot of you can relate … so how can we reconcile this with our desire for daily routines? The solution is to be intentional about building in flexibility.
There are a few ways you can do this. First, consider making certain types of activities part of your routine but be flexible with the details.
For example, when I’m home with my daughter I always prioritise self-care during nap time. This is non-negotiable BUT I’m flexible with how I practise self-care. Sometimes it’s a nap, sometimes it’s journaling, and sometimes it’s doing annoying tasks like booking appointments. I give myself the flexibility to listen to my body and do what I need most.
Another way to work flexibility into your routines is to be generous with your timelines. I’m currently suffering a lot from pregnancy insomnia, which means I give myself permission to sleep in when I need it—but this doesn’t mean I abandon my morning routine altogether. Instead, I’m flexible and I simply follow my routine at a time that works for me (even if it’s early afternoon!).
It’s simple but that’s the point! Don’t give up when things don’t go exactly as planned. Just adapt and do the best you can with the time and energy you have available.
START SMALL
One of the biggest reasons why people fail to stick to their routines is because they try to do too much at once. You don’t need to start ten new habits overnight; instead, be intentional about choosing one thing to focus on at a time.
Go back to your purpose—what are you trying to achieve with your routine? Get clear and then decide on ONE small change that will help you move forward. Do that for a few weeks until it starts to feel like a natural part of your day and then you can add something else.
Slow and steady, my friends! It works and it feels better too.
REFLECT OFTEN—WHAT’S WORKING + WHAT’S NOT?
Next, it’s important to regularly reflect on your daily routines. What’s working well for you and what’s not?
Again, I know it sounds simple but I think sometimes it’s easy to forget that your routines are there to serve YOU. Just because you decided to start a journaling habit doesn’t mean you have to do it forever. It’s completely OK to change your mind and adjust your routines when needed.
Sometimes things don’t add value to your life the way that you think they will. Or sometimes something will work for a while … but then our needs change. It’s normal so don’t feel pressured to keep mindlessly doing something just because it’s what you’ve always done.
Check-in with yourself and make sure that your daily routines are still working for you and if not, don’t be afraid to make changes.
EMBRACE IMPERFECTION
Finally, the easiest way to simplify your daily routine is to embrace imperfection. Life happens and things don’t always go to plan. This doesn’t mean you should abandon your routines.
Instead, remember that you can always pick up where you left off. Every day provides new opportunities and your daily routines are simply tools that will help you live life to the fullest. Give yourself permission to live a beautiful, messy life. (This is true for everything, not just your daily routines!)
Daily Routine Examples
If you’d like to hear more about my daily routines—what they look like and how I practise what I preach—check out:
Are you a fan of daily routines? What do yours look like and how do you keep them simple? Let us know in the comments! x