FSE 2025
Mon 23 - Fri 27 June 2025 Trondheim, Norway
co-located with ISSTA 2025
Mon 23 Jun 2025 14:40 - 15:00 at Andromeda - Logging Chair(s): Domenico Bianculli

Software logs, generated during the runtime of software systems, are essential for various development and analysis activities, such as anomaly detection and failure diagnosis. However, the presence of sensitive information in these logs poses significant privacy concerns, particularly regarding Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and quasi-identifiers that could lead to re-identification risks. While general data privacy has been extensively studied, the specific domain of privacy in software logs remains underexplored, with inconsistent definitions of sensitivity and a lack of standardized guidelines for anonymization. To mitigate this gap, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of privacy in software logs from multiple perspectives. We start by performing an analysis of 25 publicly available log datasets to identify potentially sensitive attributes. Based on the result of this step, we focus on three perspectives: privacy regulations, research literature, and industry practices. We first analyze key data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), to understand the legal requirements concerning sensitive information in logs. Second, we conduct a systematic literature review to identify common privacy attributes and practices in log anonymization, revealing gaps in existing approaches. Finally, we survey 45 industry professionals to capture practical insights on log anonymization practices. Our findings shed light on various perspectives of log privacy and reveal industry challenges, such as technical and efficiency issues while highlighting the need for standardized guidelines. By combining insights from regulatory, academic, and industry perspectives, our study aims to provide a clearer framework for identifying and protecting sensitive information in software logs.

Mon 23 Jun

Displayed time zone: Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna change

14:00 - 15:30
LoggingResearch Papers / Journal First at Andromeda
Chair(s): Domenico Bianculli University of Luxembourg
14:00
20m
Talk
No More Labelled Examples? An Unsupervised Log Parser with LLMs
Research Papers
Junjie Huang The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Zhihan Jiang The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Zhuangbin Chen Sun Yat-sen University, Michael Lyu Chinese University of Hong Kong
DOI
14:20
20m
Talk
Exploring the Effectiveness of LLMs in Automated Logging Statement Generation: An Empirical Study
Journal First
Yichen LI The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Yintong Huo Singapore Management University, Zhihan Jiang The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Renyi Zhong The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Pinjia He Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Yuxin Su Sun Yat-sen University, Lionel Briand University of Ottawa, Canada; Lero centre, University of Limerick, Ireland, Michael Lyu Chinese University of Hong Kong
14:40
20m
Talk
Protecting Privacy in Software Logs: What Should be Anonymized?
Research Papers
Roozbeh Aghili Polytechnique Montréal, Heng Li Polytechnique Montréal, Foutse Khomh Polytechnique Montréal
DOI

Information for Participants
Mon 23 Jun 2025 14:00 - 15:30 at Andromeda - Logging Chair(s): Domenico Bianculli
Info for room Andromeda:

Andromeda is located close to the restaurant and the bar, at the end of the corridor on the side of the bar.

From the registration desk, go towards the restaurant, turn left towards the bar, walk until the end of the corridor.

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