Logwatch: Catch the Intruder
Parse a flood of raw server logs, tally the status codes, and catch a brute-force attack in the act. The daily work of security engineers.
What you'll be able to build
Parse a flood of raw server logs, tally the status codes, and catch a brute-force attack in the act. The daily work of security engineers. Along the way you pick up real, transferable Ruby skills, not just this one project:
- regex capture groups
- each_with_object for tallying
- Hash counting and grouping
- threshold-based detection rules
- defensive parsing (skip malformed lines)
- sort_by to rank offenders
A course like this one
Yours is built from your own placement, so module count and depth will differ. This map shows what a intermediate-level Ruby learner building Logwatch actually gets.
- Module 1: Values, strings, and puts5 lessons
Builds the script for your logwatch.
- Module 2: Collections: arrays, hashes, and Enumerable5 lessons
Builds the module workflow for your logwatch.
- Module 3: Control flow, truthiness, and predicting output5 lessons
Builds the method that powers your logwatch.
- Module 4: Methods, blocks, and reading errors5 lessons
Builds the reusable class for your logwatch.
- Module 5: Classes, modules, and program design5 lessons
Builds the collection pipeline for your logwatch.
- Module 6: Shipping a reusable Ruby tool3 lessons
Builds the command-line tool for your logwatch.
How the lessons actually work
Every lesson has you predict what a piece of Ruby code will output before you run it, then run it for real in your browser and fix what you got wrong. Each module ends in a challenge gate with hidden tests, so you can't advance until your code actually works. The course closes with a capstone that assembles everything into Logwatch, and a runnable proof page tied to your own code.
Common questions
How long does the Logwatch: Catch the Intruder course take?
about 7 hours, across 6 modules and 28 lessons, at roughly 15 minutes per lesson. Your own course may run shorter or longer, since it's sized to your placement result, not a fixed template.
Do I need experience?
Some. This is an intermediate-tier Ruby project, so it assumes you're comfortable with Ruby basics and pushes past them.
How much does it cost?
$15 one-time, no subscription. The first module is free, so you can see exactly how the course teaches before you pay for the rest.